Kyle Busch had bacterial pneumonia for ‘days to weeks,’ per death certificate

Las Vegas native and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch had bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” prior to his death, according to his death certificate obtained by media outlets Wednesday.

Busch died May 21 after he was rushed to the hospital earlier that day because of a “sudden illness,” in a statement released by his family at the time.

The family followed up with a statement on Saturday, saying a medical evaluation of Busch “concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”

The death certificate, first obtained and reported by US Weekly, says Busch was dealing with pneumonia before it turned into sepsis.

According to the report, the medical examiner said Busch likely had the sepsis for one day and that led to small blood clots that formed in the blood stream and blocked blood flow to organs, which is medically called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

The report said that the “cause of events” led to hemorrhagic shock, which is caused by severe internal or external blood loss. A report from The Athletic says the “DIC and hemorrhagic shock lasted hours,” according to the certificate.

The Athletic’s report added the death certificate had “cremation in Mooresville, N.C. as the method of disposition” and that Busch died of “natural causes at 4:30 p.m. on May 21.”

Busch had raced in his final weeks while battling an illness. He requested his team requesting to see a doctor and receive a “shot” after the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, New York on May 10. The FS1 TV broadcast said during the race Busch had been battling a sinus cold.

Busch was still battling the cold the following week at Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware during the Cup Series All-Star Race weekend. Busch won the Craftsman Truck Series race on May 15.

“I’m still not great,” Busch told reporters at Dover. “The cough was pretty substantial (during the Watkins Glen race).”

The day after Busch’s death, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina released a 911 call from May 20 where an ambulance was requested for a medical emergency at the GM Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina.

“I’ve got an individual that’s, uh, shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he is going to pass out, and is, uh, is producing a little bit of blood,” the caller said Wednesday evening. “Coughing up some blood.

“He is awake,” the caller continued when asked if the person was awake. “He’s awake. He’s on the bathroom floor right now.”

Busch was not identified by name in the 911 call released on Friday, the day after his death.