Amelia Tait UTI Article Cosmopolitan

Journalist Amelia Tait, 22, thought that she’d contracted a simple infection – until she ended up in A&E…

‘Cystitis nearly KILLED ME’ A

s I lay shivering in bed, despite wearing a dressing gown and a duffle coat, my temperature pushing 40°C, I knew something was seriously wrong. In the past three days I’d only been able to manage three sips of juice, which had immediately come back up again.

It had all started with an urgent need to pee – I was rushing to the loo every 10 minutes and passing water was painful. My first thought was that I had a urinary tract infection (or UTI) such as cystitis. I’d never actually suffered from anything like this before, but had heard it about from pained-looking girlfriends.

But by the second day, the regular bathroom visits had stopped and were replaced with what felt like flu. A week on, I was so ill I was shaking and delirious. Either that, or characters from Harry Potter really were appearing at the end of my bed.

Finally I went to see the doctor and he diagnosed a UTI. I was surprised, as the symptoms I associated with that had cleared up days earlier. Even more surprisingly, he seemed unconcerned by my temperature, nausea and delirium. However, clutching ›

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A KILLER ILLNESS

Half of all women in the UK will suffer from a UTI at least once in their lifetime (compared with just one in 2,000 men), and the most common types are cystitis (infection of the bladder) and urethritis (infection of the urethra). Usually a quick course of antibiotics will clear it up. Although the advice given by Nhs.uk is that a mild UTI might not need antibiotics – and it’s true that most clear up without complications – it’s important to be aware of the possible risks. In my case, I developed a form of sepsis, where an infection sends the body’s immune system into overdrive and can develop into septic shock, with potentially fatal consequences. Of over 100,000 patients in the UK diagnosed with sepsis each year, more than a third die.

In January 2009, the death of Brazilian Miss World contestant Mariana Bridi Costa hit the headlines.

A month earlier, the 20-year-old had been diagnosed with an antibioticresistant UTI and she suffered severe septic shock. Doctors amputated her hands and feet, and removed part of her 172

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stomach in an attempt to save her life – but within weeks she was dead.

“In our hospital units we see about five or six cases of urinary infections per week, and of these about two cases are severe sepsis,” says Mr Jeremy Crew, a consultant urological surgeon at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.

Certain circumstances can increase the risk of a UTI developing into urosepsis, such as having kidney stones or diabetes. But regardless of whether you’re at risk, it’s important to go to a doctor if a normal course of antibiotics fails to clear your symptoms.”

Thanks to overprescribing and patients failing to finish a full course of antibiotics, certain UTIs have developed a resistance, which can raise the risk of recurrent infections (three or more UTIs per year). This means sufferers are more vulnerable to rare complications, which could in turn lead to a rise in cases of sepsis. I was one of the lucky ones – although I stayed in hospital for three days, with a fever, vomiting and relentless pain in my kidneys and sides, I was eventually allowed home to recover, without any lasting damage.

And when I later experienced another bout of cystitis, I went straight to the doctor for antibiotics.

Complications from UTIs are still, thankfully, extremely rare – but if your symptoms persist, it’s better to put your health in the hands of your GP, rather than waiting it out or reaching for the cranberry juice. ◆

UTIs THE FACTS

Cloudy or strong-smelling urine, as well as the urge to pee frequently and pain in your lower abdomen, can indicate a UTI. If you start to feel feverish or sick, develop a high temperature, your symptoms suddenly get worse or last more than five days, seek help.

See your GP immediately if you’re pregnant or have diabetes and have symptoms of a UTI. Sex can move bacteria along the urethra, so have a wee after getting intimate to prevent UTIs. Not drinking enough water can also allow bacteria to thrive, so make sure you keep hydrated.

Wipe front-to-back after going to the loo to avoid spreading bacteria.

PHOTOGRAPHS ANTONIO PETRONZIO, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, JOHN FROST NEWSPAPERS. HAIR AND MAKEUP VICTORIA BARNES

Of over 100,000 patients diagnosed with sepsis each year, more than a third die

the prescription for antibiotics he’d given me, I staggered home and hoped for the best.

Four hours later, I was lying on a bed in the acutecare section of A&E, attached to a drip of antibiotics, painkillers and fluids, after my boyfriend had driven me there. I had become so delirious (I’ve since been told), as I lay there I was singing the theme tune from The Simpsons at the top of my voice.

Blood tests quickly revealed I had what’s called urosepsis: in the space of a week, the infection in my urinary tract had developed into a kidney infection, which had spread to my bloodstream.

Scarily, if it hadn’t been caught in time, it could have been fatal.