With every passing moment Macy went undiagnosed she risked going into shock and organ failure.

Sick with a fever and experiencing pain when urinating, mum Kate took Macy, then 18 months, to their local hospital in search of answers.

“The doctors thought she had a urinary tract infection, but they decided to halt treatment until that was confirmed,” Kate said. It took 18 hours for the pathology results to come back, which confirmed their hunch. But due to delays in receiving treatment Macy deteriorated rapidly. Sepsis is a known complication of untreated UTI’s and I was worried things could escalate quickly.”

Image: Kate with Macy, then 18 months, being treated in hospital for a UTI and sepsis

Kate said overnight Macy’s heart rate elevated and she turned pale and was cold to touch.

“Macy was transferred to The Royal Children’s Hospital where she was given IV fluids and antibiotics to help treat the UTI and sepsis,” she said. It was incredibly scary to watch everything unfold.”

Macy, now 7, spent a week in hospital before making a full recovery at home.

Macy, 7, has since made a full recovery

Kate said she welcomed new Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) research that found more accurate measures were needed to help diagnose children with sepsis.

Sepsis, a serious condition that happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection, can lead to shock, organ failure and death if not treated promptly. Every year, about 25 million children are diagnosed with sepsis, resulting in 3 million deaths.

“Children must be diagnosed early, no matter what hospital or clinician is overseeing their care,” Kate said. Something as simple as a UTI can lead to a situation that’s life or death so receiving treatment quickly is vital.”