Losing Limbs to Sepsis

Blood poisoning or sepsis is one of the most common diseases and causes of death worldwide. But even in Germany, it is often not recognized immediately, as was the case for Georg Winterling. Winterling suffered a small cut on his finger when trying to inflate an old air mattress in the cellar. It seemed like a harmless injury that even the family doctor didn’t take seriously at first. But then the wound started to hurt badly. A few days later, Winterling could hardly breathe and was admitted to the hospital. Doctors there said he was suffering from sepsis, a condition which spreads throughout the body rapidly. They put Winterling into an induced coma and were eventually forced to amputate his limbs to save his life. Since then, many things he used to take for granted have become a challenge. He relies on his wife and two children to help him. DW reporter Miodrag Soric accompanied Georg Winterling as he took his first steps into his new life.