Kyle Busch’s Final Health Battle Detailed After Sudden Death at 41
Kyle Busch died on May 21 at age 41 after a severe illness that reportedly began weeks earlier and later progressed into pneumonia, sepsis, and hemorrhagic shock.
According to PEOPLE, Busch’s death certificate said the NASCAR driver had bacterial pneumonia “of an undetermined etiology” for “days to weeks” before his death.
The illness progressed from a sinus infection into severe bilateral pneumonia and sepsis. The sepsis then led to disseminated intravascular coagulation, a dangerous clotting condition, before hemorrhagic shock caused his death.
The 911 call
In the coverage by PEOPLE, it is stated that Busch was rushed to a Charlotte, North Carolina, hospital on May 20. Audio from a 911 call obtained by the outlet said “I’ve got an individual that’s [got] shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told emergency responders around 5:30 p.m time. “He is awake. He’s awake on the bathroom floor right now.”
Us Weekly reported that a broadcast after Busch’s May 10 race at Watkins Glen suggested he had been dealing with a sinus cold that week. The New York Post also reported that Brad Keselowski had a chance encounter with Busch on a plane before his death and said the NASCAR star seemed unlike himself.
How a sinus infection can become pneumonia
It’s important to state that most sinus infections do not become life-threatening. Many clear up with time, rest, fluids, or medical care when needed. But some infections can worsen, spread, or open the door to complications, especially when bacteria are involved or symptoms are ignored too long.
The Cleveland Clinic states that pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation and fluid in the small air sacs of the lungs. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and bacterial pneumonia is usually more severe than viral pneumonia.
When pneumonia affects both lungs, it is called bilateral pneumonia, or double pneumonia. This type of pneumonia can happen in one or both lungs.
What bilateral pneumonia can look like
Healthline states that double pneumonia symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain, congestion, cough, fever, sweating, chills, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In adults over 65, confusion, changes in thinking, or a lower-than-normal body temperature may also appear.
The Cleveland Clinic expands on this list of symptoms with a cough with yellow, green, or bloody mucus, weakness, bluish skin or nails, and confusion as possible pneumonia symptoms. It advises medical care when symptoms are new or worsening, and emergency care for trouble breathing, chest pain, or confusion.
Sepsis is the turning point
According to the CDC, sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency, and without fast treatment, it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
CDC data shows sepsis symptoms can include clammy or sweaty skin, confusion, extreme pain or discomfort, fever or chills, a high heart rate, weak pulse, and shortness of breath.
In Busch’s case, PEOPLE reported that the pneumonia progressed into sepsis, then into disseminated intravascular coagulation. Medical literature states that sepsis is often complicated by clotting problems, including DIC in severe cases.
A cold, sinus infection, cough, or fever that gets worse, lingers, causes trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, or blood in mucus should be checked by a doctor.
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