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Kyle Busch died on May 21 at age 41 of pneumonia that progressed into sepsis, according to a statement shared by the NASCAR legend's family on Saturday, May 23.The statement added that the progression resulted in "rapid and overwhelming associated complications" for the two-time Cup Series champion.Here's what to know about the condition.What is sepsis?Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that happens when your immune system responds improperly to an infection, causing it to harm healthy tissues and organs, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic explain."It can develop quickly and lead to organ failure or death without urgent care," Cleveland Clinic adds. The clinic's enterprise sepsis steering committee chair Dr. James Morrison previously told USA TODAY it's a "leading cause of in-hospital death."In the U.S. alone, sepsis strikes at least 1.7 million adults annually and contributes to some 350,000 deaths, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What causes sepsis?Sepsis develops when an infection triggers a harmful immune response. "Bacterial infections are one of the most common root causes," Morrison, who is also a critical care and emergency medicine physician, said, "but fungal, viral or parasitic infections can also lead to sepsis." These infections can originate anywhere in the body, he adds, but most often start in the lungs, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal system. It can begin from something as seemingly harmless as pneumonia, a urinary tract infection or even a deep cut.Sepsis treatment optionsBecause of its severity, "sepsis requires treatment initiation as quickly as possible," Purvesh Khatri, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, previously told USA TODAY. The goals of treatment are to control the infection, stabilize the patient and support any organs that are affected or failing.To accomplish this, "treatment typically includes supportive care to manage symptoms, antibiotics to fight the underlying infection and IV fluids and medications such as vasopressors to restore blood pressure," Morrison explained. "In some cases, surgery may also be necessary to remove the source of infection."Early evaluation and treatment are critical because sepsis progresses rapidly, and prompt recognition and interventions can mean the difference between life and death. "Each hour of delay in treatment," cautioned Khatri, "brings with it an increased mortality risk."
