A kidney infection can sometimes lead to a dangerous condition called sepsis link, which can be life threatening. Symptoms of sepsis include fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, rash, and confusion. A kidney infection that becomes chronic, or long lasting, can cause permanent damage to your kidneys.
Signs and Symptoms
A person with sepsis may have any of the following symptoms: High heart rate or weak pulse. Confusion or disorientation. Extreme pain or discomfort.
Blood poisoning (also called sepsis) is another rare, but potentially fatal, complication of a kidney infection. It happens when bacteria spreads from the kidneys into the bloodstream. Once bacteria are in your blood, the infection can spread to any part of your body, including all of the major organs.
As sepsis worsens or septic shock develops, an early sign, particularly in older people or the very young, may be confusion or decreased alertness. Blood pressure decreases, yet the skin is paradoxically warm. Later, extremities become cool and pale, with peripheral cyanosis and mottling.
Sepsis can develop quickly from initial infection and progress to septic shock in as little as 12 to 24 hours.1 You may have an infection that's not improving or you could even be sick without realizing it.
High heart rate or weak pulse. Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold. Confusion or disorientation. Shortness of breath.
blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis. difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.
Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
You have symptoms that a kidney infection is getting worse. These may include: Pain or burning when you urinate. A frequent need to urinate without being able to pass much urine.
When should you go to the ER for a kidney infection? You should go to the emergency room for a kidney infection if you have a high fever (over 101°F), severe pain, nausea, vomiting, or inability to stay hydrated.
Some of the different tests that are needed to make a sepsis diagnosis include a urine test, blood test, and tests related to other medical conditions.
Stage one: Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)
Sepsis can be hard to identify, but is typically denoted by a very high or low body temperature, high heart rate, high respiratory rate, high or low white blood cell count and a known or suspected infection.
To check for a kidney infection, you may be asked to provide a urine sample to test for bacteria, blood or pus in your urine. Your health care provider might also take a blood sample for a culture. A culture is a lab test that checks for bacteria or other organisms in your blood.
Sudden and frequent urination. Pain in your lower abdomen. Blood in your urine ( hematuria)
Sepsis is known as the 'silent killer' because its symptoms often mimic that of other illnesses such as the flu or gastro. But, if it is identified and treated early, patients can recover.
It's clear that sepsis doesn't occur without an infection in your body, but it is possible that someone develops sepsis without realizing they had an infection in the first place. And sometimes, doctors never discover what the initial infection was.
Organ failure, including kidney failure, is a hallmark of sepsis. As the body is overwhelmed, its organs begin to shut down, causing even more problems. The kidneys are often among the first to be affected.
NICE - the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - urges hospital staff to treat people with life-threatening sepsis within one hour, in its quality standard. In clinical practice, this is often referred to as the 'golden hour' after diagnosis.
However, there might be other symptoms related to sepsis based on where the infection is. Abdominal pain is one such symptom.
The condition can arise suddenly and progress quickly, and it's often hard to recognize. Sepsis was once commonly known as “blood poisoning.” It was almost always deadly. Today, even with early treatment, sepsis kills about 1 in 5 affected people.
What causes sepsis? Most sepsis is caused by bacterial infections, but it can also be caused by viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza; fungal infections; or noninfectious insults, such as traumatic injury.
Untreated urinary tract infections may spread to the kidney, causing more pain and illness. It can also cause sepsis. The term urosepsis describes sepsis caused by a UTI. Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body's life-threatening response to infection or injury.