Urosepsis is a type of sepsis -- infection of the blood -- which develops when bacteria from a urinary tract infection makes its way into your bloodstream. Urosepsis, which can cause life-threatening septic shock, is usually treated with antibiotics. Urosepsis patients may need to be nourished enterally -- meaning with a feeding tube -- or parentally, by way of intravenous feedings. Diets high in saturated fat are associated with poorer prognoses in sepsis cases. A registered dietitian can recommend a diet that promotes urinary health and helps reduce your risk of infections and urosepsis.
How Urosepsis Develops
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are extremely common, particularly among women ages 20 to 50. The cause is usually E. coli, a bacterial pathogen found in the colon. Symptoms include frequent urination, burning sensations with urination and lower abdominal pain. Although UTIs are uncomfortable, they are usually successfully treated with antibiotics. Bacteria from complicated or untreated UTIs can enter the kidneys and cause a serious condition called pyelonephritis, with symptoms of back or abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, high fever, shaking and chills. From there, bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing urosepsis. According to the Merck Manual, pregnant women, organ transplant patients on immune-suppressing drugs and patients undergoing urology surgery are at increased risk of urosepsis. If you experience rapid breathing, accelerated heartbeat, weak pulse, profuse sweating, high fever, unusual anxiety or decreased or absent output of urine, seek emergency medical treatment.
Role of Diet
Some studies suggest that maintaining a healthy weight and eating less animal fat and sugar leads to a better outcome in cases of urosepsis. In an animal study published in 2010 in "BMC Physiology," researchers concluded that a diet high in saturated fats, cholesterol and sugar predisposes the immune system to exaggerate the body's inflammatory response to sepsis. Team leader Chantal Rivera, Ph.D., noted that morbidly obese patients were seven times more likely to die of sepsis than lean individuals.
Certain foods and supplements may decrease your risk of developing a urinary tract infection that could lead to urosepsis. To help prevent UTIs, University of Maryland Medical Center endorses taking probiotic supplements that contain lactobacillus acidophilus; you also can find this beneficial bacteria in yogurt with live cultures. UMMC adds that cranberry juice can deter UTIs by preventing E. coli pathogens from adhering to cells.
Nutritional Support Urosepsis
Physicians may use calorie restriction as a temporary measure to treat sepsis, especially during the first three to five days. According to Oklahoma State University Health Sciences, moderate short-term underfeeding favors the survival of cell populations, delays the deterioration of physiological functions and minimizes the inflammatory response. OSUHS notes that sepsis patients limited to 33 percent to 65 percent of the recommended caloric intake exhibited the highest survival rates; groups that received up to 100 percent had the worst outcomes. A diet for sepsis patients -- including those with urosepsis -- should contain 20 percent to 25 percent protein, 35 percent to 40 percent carbohydrates, and 30 percent to 40 percent fats.
Immune-Enhancement Formula Urosepsis
In a comparative study published in 2000 in "Critical Care Medicine," researchers found that tube-fed intensive care patients with sepsis who were given a formula supplemented with the amino acid arginine, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and mRNA -- ribonucleic acid -- were much less likely to die or have further infection than patients who received a high-protein formula without the extra nutrients. The immune system-enhancing formula seemed to help most with patients whose illnesses were less severe.
References
- The Merck Manual: Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections
- Better Medicine: Urosepsis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cranberry
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Urinary Tract Infection in Women
- Critical Care Medicine: An Immune-Enhancing Enteral Diet Reduces Mortality Rate and Episodes of Bacteremia in Septic Intensive Care Unit Patients
- BMC Physiology: Western Diet Exacerbates Sepsis
- Oklahoma State University Health Sciences: Treatment of Sepsis
- Journal of Global Infectious Diseases: Approach to a Patient With Urosepsis
