Man had all four limbs amputated after inflating an old air mattress led to severe condition

A man had his life turned upside down in a few days after getting a small cut while inflating an old air mattress in his cellar.

Georg Winterling, from Germany, got a minor flesh wound on his index finger in the process.

But while most of us wouldn't think much of it, his cut later became infected and developed into a blister, and initially having concerns about the injury, he went to get it checked out.

According to DW, the 40-year-old was told by two doctors that his infection didn't seem to be too serious, however, in a few days, things began to take a turn for the worst.

A small cut would be just the beginning (DW)

In just a few days, he was struggling to breathe and was subsequently admitted to hospital, where doctors discovered that he was suffering from sepsis.

According to Mayo Clinic, sepsis is condition in which the body responds improperly to an infection, which in Georg's case was caused by mouse droppings on the mattress, leading the infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing the organs to work poorly.

It can then progress into septic shock, where blood pressure drops enough that it can do damage to organs like the lungs and kidneys - which is what happened to Georg.

Georg was put into a coma before he had his limbs amputated(DW)

Upon realising the severity of the situation, doctors put Winterling in an induced coma, where the oxygen in his body primarily stayed in his vital organs.

However, this left his arms and legs without sufficient oxygen, leading to doctors having to amputate them.

Speaking of his life after the amputation, he said: “I was completely unaware of what sepsis is and what it can lead to in the end.

“I have only learned recently about how bad sepsis can be. In most cases it leads to death because it is not recognized properly, in that respect I was very lucky to have survived it and still be sitting here today.”

Following his surgery, Georg has undergone therapy in order to learn how to walk in his new prosthetic legs and now largely relies on his wife and children to help him in his everyday life.

However, while he's making good progress, even getting back into his old hobby skiing, he's eager for things to move along quicker.

Georg told DW: "Things will continue to progress. If one approach doesn't work, there's always another.

"And finding that new approach becomes the important thing to do."

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