Teenager ends up in medically induced coma, septic shock from untreated UTI
A woman experienced septic shock and had to be put in a medically induced coma for a life-threatening battle with a urinary tract infection, which was left untreated for a month.
Citing local media WPXI-TV, PEOPLE Magazine reported that Katie Sullivan, an 18-year-old athlete from Pennsylvania, U.S., had severe back pain in early December. The family initially thought that it was due to her training schedule in gymnastics and softball until things got worse a few days after Christmas.
“This has been incredibly scary. Katie is not one to complain about much because she’s very athletic,” her father Tim Sullivan told the media.
Detailing the ordeal, Katie was rushed to the Allegheny General Hospital after having low blood pressure and a fast heart rate. She was later diagnosed with UTI, which had been going on for about a month, and was deemed to be in critical condition.
“When they did the testing, they found she had a UTI for about a month that actually caused a hole in her kidney. It caused an abscess in her liver into her back muscle and behind her kidney. She was in septic shock,” her mom, Shannon Sullivan said.
According to the media outlet, the athlete spent over a week in the hospital for surgeries and has been in a medically induced coma with a ventilator as she was experiencing brain swelling.
“We weren’t given much hope,” her mother lamented. “We brought all our family in. Hour to hour, we went out and celebrated that she didn’t deteriorate.”
Katie showed signs of recovery on Wednesday, Jan. 9, when she was able to communicate with her family again non-verbally.
“I asked her if she wanted to go home, and she shook her head yes. Then they asked her if she was in pain, and she shook her head no. I told her if she wanted to go home she had to put a thumbs up, and she did. From not moving on Sunday, and telling us hour by hour, today is miraculous,” she added.
While Katie still has a long road to recovery, her parents are hopeful that she will come back strong and be able to play softball again.
According to Mayo Clinic, UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Its symptoms include pain or burning while urinating, bloody urine, pressure, or cramping in the groin or lower abdomen. It may also occur with fever, chills, lower back pain, and nausea, among others. The condition can be treated with antibiotics or even hospital treatment, depending on the severity of the infection.
Katie's parents advised the public to get themselves checked as soon as they notice something unusual in their system.
“Even if you think it’s nothing, please get it checked. Because never in a million years, and I’m a nurse practitioner, would I think she would be here with renal failure, intubated, and being given a dire diagnosis at 18,” she said.