Deputy Who Saved Infant In '06 Dies From Related Illness

[The Straight Story]

Deputy Who Saved Infant In '06 Dies From Related Illness
Funeral To Be Held This Weekend

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County deputy who contracted an illness while giving an infant CPR has died more than five years after the incident.

Deputy Sebastian Diana was called to a home in February 2006 to help a 3-month-old who was not breathing. While administering CPR, Diana came in contact with the child's vomit, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office said it was later determined that Diana contracted an undisclosed illness from his efforts. After battling health issues for six years, Diana died on Saturday.

The Red Cross said it is very rare for anyone to become ill from performing CPR.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/27218499/detail.html#

[boobooday]

1. What in the world?

Not many details. What type of illness could he contract from a 3 month old?

Very sad.

[trotsky]

2. Hepatitis is my guess.

Sad. There are reasons why current CPR guidelines have you forget about the breathing and just keep doing chest compressions.

[hlthe2b]

3. Very likely to have been from exposure to bacterial meningitis...

Neisseria meningitidis is a bacteria that leads to deadly meningitis and death, but can also infect the heart, leading to chronic heart failure in the exposed adult. That the child vomited is a clue, since that is not only characteristic of children ill with meningitis, but an ideal exposure route to the adult performing CPR.... A very rare incident, however for those questioning how risky CPR might be.

Hepatitis B, as someone suggested would be very unlikely to be transmitted through vomitus, but really requires blood to blood or blood to mucus membrane exposure. Also very unlikely to lead to death in a chronically infected adult in this (relatively brief) time period.

[boobooday]

4. Thank you, that is very informative

It seems useful information to know, and also an opportunity to point out what a rare event it was. It would have been good to have gotten that from the article!