Could his death have been prevented?
The NASCAR community is still in shock over the sudden and tragic passing of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.
The 41-year-old passed away last Thursday, after it had been announced earlier in the day that he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness.”
Just two weeks ago at Watkins Glen, Busch had said he was battling a sinus infection and asked for a doctor to meet him at his bus after the race to give him a shot. And last week at Dover, he said he was still dealing with the effects of what he called a “substantial cough” from the week before.
Despite being under the weather, Busch managed to win the Truck Series race at Dover just six days before he passed away. But information from the 911 call made on Wednesday shows that things quickly took a turn while the driver was at the GM Technical Center doing racing simulator texting, with the caller reporting that Busch was awake and alert but on the bathroom floor experiencing “shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
After he passed away the following day, many began speculating that it was related to the sinus infection he was suffering from during the race at Watkins Glen. And that was seemingly confirmed by his family when they released a statement revealing that Busch had passed away from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
Obviously it was shocking for a 41-year-old, seemingly-healthy athlete to pass away so suddenly, especially after he had just competed (and won) days before his death. But at least one doctor believes that his death was entirely preventable – and the fact that he was in such good shape may have ended up working against him.
Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine physician based in Florida, took to social media to share his thoughts on Busch’s death, and argued that the driver should have been hospitalized following the race at Watkins Glen:
“This was a totally preventable situation. Hindsight is 2020, but ideally when he was calling for help and a “shot” from his doctor two weeks ago. The proper protocol would’ve been to have him admitted to the hospital and get IV antibiotics with proper monitoring.
Based on what we have heard, this was not the case, and his medical team allowed him to maintain his strenuous activities despite this ongoing infection that eventually evolved into pneumonia.”
Morse says it was “extraordinary” that Busch was able to compete – and win – while dealing with such a severe illness, but says that because he was able to power through it he didn’t get the medical treatment he needed:
“The fact that he won a race less then a week before he passed away, meaning that he was still actively dealing with this infection, is nothing short of extraordinary. It shows you how good of shape he was in and also the power of the mind.
Unfortunately, his powerful mind ended up being a double-edged sword, preventing him from getting the proper care he deserved, which unfortunately led to his shocking passing.”
Of course, as Morse says, hindsight is always 20/20, and unfortunately there’s no way to change the past. There’s no doubt everybody thought they were doing the right thing at the time, but hopefully his death can serve as a reminder of the importance of taking care of your health and listening to the warning signs.
