How UTI Causes Sepsis and Immune System Overdrive

Arthur Copes, Ph.D. is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana naturopathic physician who addresses persistent health issues such as adrenal fatigue and high blood pressure. Another focus for Dr. Arthur Copes at the Bio Wellness Center is urinary tract infections (UTI) that initially affect the urethra and the bladder.

While typically harmless, UTI can spread when untreated and reach the kidneys. Here they may develop into the much more serious condition sepsis. Sepsis is typically caused by bacterial infections that the body cannot handle through first-line defenses. In addition to kidney infections, these may include pneumonia, bloodstream infection, or abdominal infection. The immune response triggered across the entire body is so strong that it impairs the ability of numerous organs to function correctly simultaneously.

In many cases, sepsis occurs among hospitalized, recently discharged from medical care, and is weak or immunocompromised. However, it can occasionally derive from infections in otherwise healthy people.

Symptoms to watch for include a confirmed infection and all three of the following attributes: a respiratory rate of 22 breaths a minute (or higher); systolic blood pressure (the first number in the reading) that is 100 mm Hg or less; and an altered mental state. In such cases, it is urgently important to contact a physician and avoid the potential of septic shock that spirals out of control.