My elderly uncle is in hospital with a urine infection. His capacity for normal behaviour and thought is greatly reduced and I’m told the same happens when other older people have the same kind of infection. Why is this? If I (a 43-year-old) picked up a urine infection it might sting, but wouldn’t lead to mental incapability.
• A sudden alteration in normal behaviour and acute confusion can occur in people who have sepsis as a result of a urinary tract infection. This acute neurological dysfunction is termed “sepsis associated encephalopathy” (SAE) and is more common in elderly patients.
SAE is…
