Dr Michael Porter, 45, was struck down by sepsis and slipped into a coma
A doctor who lectures medical students on how to spot signs of sepsis has revealed he almost died from the deadly infection.
Dr Michael Porter was saved only because his brother, also a doctor, noticed how unwell he was.
He has cut his hand two days earlier but did not realise that was why he was feeling ill because his mind became fogged.
Dr Porter, 45, was taken to hospital but despite being pumped full of antibiotics he slipped into a coma.
His wife and family were told he probably would not last the night. He had to be resuscitated several times over the next two weeks.
He spent three months in a coma. When he came round, he could hardly walk because of muscle loss and his weight had fallen from 12st to 7st.
It took nine months before he was well enough to return to his job as a lecturer in molecular genetics at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
Dr Porter fell ill while visiting family near Glasgow. ‘Two days earlier, I had scratched my hand on a nail,’ he said.
‘By the time I arrived in Glasgow I was feeling unwell, but I didn’t know just how ill I really was. I was fevered, exhausted and must have come over slightly confused – all warning signs of sepsis.
‘The sepsis was spreading through my body from the cut and was impacting on my judgment on spotting the symptoms.’

Dr Porter, left, with his brother Martin, who saved his life by spotting signs he was seriously ill

Relieved: Dr Porter with his wife Nicola. It took nine months before he was well enough to return to lecturing in molecular genetics at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston
His brother Martin, a consultant dermatologist, was quick to notice the danger signs and get him to the nearest hospital.
Key signs are slurred speech or confusion, extreme shivering or muscle pain, passing no urine in a day and severe breathlessness. Skin can also become mottled or discoloured.
Dr Porter said: ‘You don’t have to be a doctor to spot it. If you or someone you know has one or more of these symptoms, you must call the emergency services immediately.’
‘I had lectured on the subject, but became so ill I couldn’t see I had sepsis. I knew that it could be triggered by a simple cut or insect bite, a chest infection causing pneumonia, a bladder infection, a leg ulcer or even flu, but I don’t think I had ever really taken it seriously.’
Dr Ron Daniels, of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: ‘It is common to be confused by sepsis even when you are acutely familiar with the signs. That’s why it is vital for others to spot it.’