[ad_1]
Actress Tanya Roberts died of a urinary tract infection that turned into sepsis, a more common result than expected, especially in older women, doctors say.
Roberts, 65, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, her longtime partner Lance O’Brien and spokesperson Mike Pingel told NBC News on Tuesday. Roberts, best known for the 1984 James Bond film “A View to a Kill” and “That ’70s Show” on television, had a urinary tract infection, or urinary tract infection, which spread to her kidneys and gall bladder, according to the two men.
The most common type of urinary tract infection begins with bladder infections, which usually respond to antibiotics. But it can become potentially fatal if the infection spreads to the kidneys.
Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system goes haywire when it tries to eradicate an infection that has entered the bloodstream and begins to attack organs.
Up to 31% of sepsis cases start with urinary tract infections, representing 2.8 million to 9.8 million cases in the United States and Europe, resulting in up to 1.6 million deaths, according to the European Association of Urology.
“The kidney is a spongy organ filled with blood vessels,” said Dr. Amin Herati, urologist and director of men’s health at the Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “Anytime bacteria have a chance to climb into the urinary tract, they have easier access to the bloodstream.”
What causes sepsis?
Women and girls have an increased risk because their urethra are shorter and closer to the rectum, which allows bacteria to enter the urinary tract more easily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other risk factors for a UTI that can lead to sepsis include:
- age (55 years and over)
- Diabetes
- kidney stones
- other problems that can lead to blockage of the ureter
Once bacteria enter the blood, “the body reacts aggressively and can cause damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs,” said Dr Christopher Seymour, sepsis specialist and associate professor of nursing medicine Intensive at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. . “When the immune system responds, it can trigger a cascade of proteins that affect blood vessels and tissues.”
Sepsis causes immune response to breakdown, Seymour said
“In some areas it is going too fast and in others it is going too slow,” Seymour said. “This leads to threats to the organs.”
About 1 in 5 people who develop sepsis in hospital don’t survive, “even with all of our best medications,” Seymour said.
There isn’t a single clear symptom that indicates an infection has turned into sepsis. “In summary, no single sign or symptom says that septic, like chest pain, can indicate a heart attack,” Seymour said. “That’s why we often see people who show up late and may succumb to an infection that is otherwise treatable.”
The warning signs of sepsis include:
- discomfort
- high fever
- dizziness
- Low blood pressure
- difficulty in breathing
[ad_2]
Source link