Medical student Lucas Borba, aged 26, who died as a result of an infection, presented several symptoms when he was still in Belém (PA), where he was studying medicine. According to his family, he felt abdominal pain and had diarrhea and vomiting for almost a month. He asked his relatives for help to receive medical care in Palmas.
Lucas died on Sunday (22) with kidney and liver failure. The real cause of the infection was not reported. According to infectious disease doctor and professor at the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) Flávio Augusto de Pádua Milagres, serious infections in the body can be caused by bacteria or viruses.
“The main ones are so-called bacterial infections. We also have infections caused by viruses, which can be aggressive and justify death quickly.” The doctor also explained that there are still infections caused by protozoa or fungal infections, which do not usually carry as much risk.
With the medical student, the infection spread, compromising vital organs. According to Lucas’s cousin, Arthur Wieczorek, the young man was in Belém (PA), where he was studying medicine, when he began to feel ill. He asked an aunt for help to travel to the capital of Tocantins and arrived in the city on October 13th, being hospitalized shortly afterwards.
The condition worsened on Thursday (19) and the young man had to be transferred to the ICU of a hospital in the capital. On Sunday (22), according to Arthur, Lucas was intubated and had a cardiac arrest. The kidneys and liver couldn’t handle it. The medical student suffered multiple organ failure and death was confirmed at 6pm.
“Many of these infections, when they compromise the organism as a whole, called systemic infections, can cause changes in the liver and kidney, leading to liver and kidney failure”, stated the infectious disease specialist, explaining the action of the disease.
Severity of infections
In general, some symptoms may indicate infectious diseases and give signals to the body. “Most of the time the patient will present a fever, often tiredness, prostration, general weakness. You may have mental loss or confusion and chills. In more serious situations, even bleeding from the mucous membranes, such as the nose and mouth”, explained the specialist.
The infectious disease specialist also detailed that depending on the place on the body where the infection started, different symptoms can be observed.
“We have to understand that if it is in the central nervous system, it can cause confusion, seizures and mental changes. When the lungs are compromised, it will often be shortness of breath, coughing phlegm that leads to respiratory failure. Infections in the digestive tract can manifest in the initial form with diarrhea, abdominal pain, belly distension and changes associated with bleeding. When we talk about infections associated with muscles and skeletal muscles, there can be a lot of pain, cramps and changes in strength”, said Flávio.
The treatment
There is treatment for infectious diseases, but this will depend on the manifestations and the so-called clinical hypotheses.
“That is why it is extremely important for the infectious disease doctor to participate and evaluate throughout the care, who is trained and qualified to identify this variety of infections and which, in a very complex way, can compromise either the nervous system, the muscular system and , sometimes two or three locations at the same time. Hence the importance of this management and monitoring for adequate treatment and reducing the chance of death, as unfortunately happened in this situation”, highlighted Flávio, lamenting the death of the medical student.
Farewell
Lucas was studying his third period of medicine at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). He left Tocantins, where he was studying engineering, to live in Belém alone, fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor.
On social media, many friends and relatives mourned his death. The academic directory of the UFPA medical course commented: “Lucas, you will forever be in our memories! Rest in peace! You were amazing!”
The young man was laid to rest in a funeral home on block 108 Norte, in Palmas. The body must be taken to Nova Olinda, in the north of Tocantins, where the maternal family lives.
There was also a farewell moment at the city’s City Hall. The burial is scheduled for this Tuesday morning (24) at the Nova Olinda cemetery.
Medical student Lucas Borba, aged 26, who died as a result of an infection, presented several symptoms when he was still in Belém (PA), where he was studying medicine. According to his family, he felt abdominal pain and had diarrhea and vomiting for almost a month. He asked his relatives for help to receive medical care in Palmas.
Lucas died on Sunday (22) with kidney and liver failure. The real cause of the infection was not reported. According to infectious disease doctor and professor at the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) Flávio Augusto de Pádua Milagres, serious infections in the body can be caused by bacteria or viruses.
“The main ones are so-called bacterial infections. We also have infections caused by viruses, which can be aggressive and justify death quickly.” The doctor also explained that there are still infections caused by protozoa or fungal infections, which do not usually carry as much risk.
With the medical student, the infection spread, compromising vital organs. According to Lucas’s cousin, Arthur Wieczorek, the young man was in Belém (PA), where he was studying medicine, when he began to feel ill. He asked an aunt for help to travel to the capital of Tocantins and arrived in the city on October 13th, being hospitalized shortly afterwards.
The condition worsened on Thursday (19) and the young man had to be transferred to the ICU of a hospital in the capital. On Sunday (22), according to Arthur, Lucas was intubated and had a cardiac arrest. The kidneys and liver couldn’t handle it. The medical student suffered multiple organ failure and death was confirmed at 6pm.
“Many of these infections, when they compromise the organism as a whole, called systemic infections, can cause changes in the liver and kidney, leading to liver and kidney failure”, stated the infectious disease specialist, explaining the action of the disease.
Severity of infections
In general, some symptoms may indicate infectious diseases and give signals to the body. “Most of the time the patient will present a fever, often tiredness, prostration, general weakness. You may have mental loss or confusion and chills. In more serious situations, even bleeding from the mucous membranes, such as the nose and mouth”, explained the specialist.
The infectious disease specialist also detailed that depending on the place on the body where the infection started, different symptoms can be observed.
“We have to understand that if it is in the central nervous system, it can cause confusion, seizures and mental changes. When the lungs are compromised, it will often be shortness of breath, coughing phlegm that leads to respiratory failure. Infections in the digestive tract can manifest in the initial form with diarrhea, abdominal pain, belly distension and changes associated with bleeding. When we talk about infections associated with muscles and skeletal muscles, there can be a lot of pain, cramps and changes in strength”, said Flávio.
The treatment
There is treatment for infectious diseases, but this will depend on the manifestations and the so-called clinical hypotheses.
“That is why it is extremely important for the infectious disease doctor to participate and evaluate throughout the care, who is trained and qualified to identify this variety of infections and which, in a very complex way, can compromise either the nervous system, the muscular system and , sometimes two or three locations at the same time. Hence the importance of this management and monitoring for adequate treatment and reducing the chance of death, as unfortunately happened in this situation”, highlighted Flávio, lamenting the death of the medical student.
Farewell
Lucas was studying his third period of medicine at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). He left Tocantins, where he was studying engineering, to live in Belém alone, fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor.
On social media, many friends and relatives mourned his death. The academic directory of the UFPA medical course commented: “Lucas, you will forever be in our memories! Rest in peace! You were amazing!”
The young man was laid to rest in a funeral home on block 108 Norte, in Palmas. The body must be taken to Nova Olinda, in the north of Tocantins, where the maternal family lives.
There was also a farewell moment at the city’s City Hall. The burial is scheduled for this Tuesday morning (24) at the Nova Olinda cemetery.
