18-Year-Old US Woman's Untreated Urinary Tract Infection Causes Hole In Kidney

An 18-year-old woman in the United States went from happily celebrating the Christmas holiday at home with her family to being in critical condition at the hospital within the span of a few days due to an untreated urinary tract infection (UTI). According to People, Katie Sullivan had been experiencing lower back pain in early December. However, initially, she thought it was because of her rigorous training schedule since she was both a gymnast and a softball player. But she took a turn for the worse a few days after Christmas, her family said. 

Ms Sullivan was experiencing extremely low blood pressure and a high heartbeat, the outlet reported. She eventually had to be transported by an air ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. At the hospital, doctors determined that the 18-year-old was in critical condition and needed treatment immediately. They also tested her to find out what exactly was causing her illness. 

"When they did the testing, they found she had a UTI for about a month that actually caused a hole in her kidney," Ms Sullivan's mother, Shannon Sullivan, told WPXI-TV. "It caused an abscess in her liver into her back muscle and behind her kidney. She was in septic shock," she said. 

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The outlet reported that the 18-year-old underwent several surgeries following the diagnosis. She had to be put in a medically induced coma with a ventilator as was experiencing brain swelling. 

It was about a week and a half later that Ms Sullivan was finally able to communicate again. She was also able to shake her head in order to respond to basic questions. "From not moving on Sunday, and telling us hour by hour, today is miraculous," the mother said. 

Further, her parents said that the doctors have told them that their daughter has a long road ahead to recovery, but they hope that she can someday return to doing what she loves. The medics also advised to get checked by a doctor if someone feels that something isn't right with their body.