Senior Citizens Lounge: Urine infection that looked like a stroke |
I recently received an urgent call for a home visit: an elderly man was reported to be in a state of semi-consciousness and unable to move. The family feared the worst, a stroke. I rushed to the house. On examination, there were no focal neurological deficits, no signs of acute stroke and no evidence of a cardiac event. As we spoke further, the family casually mentioned something they had begun to consider “normal with age”: for some time, he had been leaking urine and passing urine frequently.
A simple urine examination changed the entire narrative. He was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection. During one of his repeated night-time trips to the toilet, he had fallen, sustaining trauma to his leg. The infection, dehydration, pain, poor sleep and the stress of the fall together had pushed him into a state of acute confusion and reduced responsiveness. He was started on appropriate antibiotics, hydration was corrected and supportive care was provided. Within days, he improved significantly alert, oriented and mobile again.
This is not an isolated........