What most people know about kidney stones is that they tend to produce the worst pain anyone has ever felt. More than likely, that’s because the stones need to pass through a small opening through which only liquid usually passes. If not treated aggressively and properly from the first signs, they could lead to an infection and then to sepsis, which could easily become life-threatening. Blood tests can be used to monitor kidney health and detect infections early. If you have been afflicted by improper medical treatment, contact medical malpractice attorneys.
Experts point out that these severe cases are relatively rare. They emphasize that severe sepsis and amputation due to kidney stones are uncommon and should not be considered typical or anticipated complications of kidney stones in general.
Kidney stones can obstruct urine flow and lead to a kidney infection, which may result in sepsis. Often mistakenly referred to as blood poisoning, sepsis is a severe and potentially fatal response by the body to an infection. It affects and can be fatal to millions, necessitating prompt recognition and swift treatment to improve chances of survival.
What Causes Kidney Stones to Form?
Urine contains many substances that ordinarily don’t pose any threat as they pass. The most common include:
– A crystalline compound called uric acid
– Calcium
– A by-product of urinary tract infections called struvite
– An amino acid called cysteine
When these and other compounds fail to pass normally, they can form crystals or stones, and no one is really sure why it happens. What is known is that dehydration plays a role in their formation since you failed to ingest enough fluids to wash these substances out of your body. Anyone can develop kidney stones, but some people are more susceptible to certain kinds of stones than others.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
You may not be able to tell that you have kidney stones until they leave your kidneys. However, if you experience the following symptoms, you may have them:
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Fever
– Chills
– Blood in your urine
– Pain that moves from your groin down to the testicles for a man
– Severe, sharp, and cramping pain in the side of your back or abdomen
This cramping pain is often described as one of the most intense pain experiences a person can endure. It occurs as the stone moves through the urinary system, specifically the thin tube through which urine passes between the kidney and bladder. Small kidney stones may pass on their own, but large kidney stones can block urine flow, leading to complications.
How Infections Can Escalate into Sepsis
When kidney stones block urine flow, bacteria can multiply rapidly in the urinary tract. This can lead to urinary tract infections and, if not treated in time, to a full kidney infection. If the infection spreads beyond the kidney into the bloodstream, it can trigger severe sepsis. This is when the body’s immune response spirals out of control, potentially resulting in tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Treating kidney stones promptly is one of the best ways to prevent sepsis from kidney stones. However, if a medical professional overlooks the signs of infection or delays necessary treatment, the risk of serious complications rises. Recognizing the warning signs early—such as fever, low blood pressure, confusion, and chills—is critical for effective intervention.
Common Types of Kidney Stones
Not all kidney stones are the same. Most kidney stones fall into one of four main categories, based on their chemical makeup:
Calcium stones are the most frequent type and are often linked to consuming too much calcium or oxalate.
Struvite stones form in response to urinary tract infections and can grow quickly.
Uric acid stones may develop in people with high protein intake or chronic dehydration.
Cystine stones are rare and result from a genetic disorder that causes the body to excrete too much of an amino acid.
Each type may require a different treatment approach, so correct diagnosis is essential. Imaging tests and blood tests help determine the stone’s composition and guide appropriate medical decisions.
Medical Treatments and Their Risks
When stones are too large to pass naturally, procedures are often necessary. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses ultrasound shock waves to break stones into smaller fragments that can pass more easily. In other cases, a thin telescopic instrument called a ureteroscope may be used to remove or break up stones directly.
In more severe cases, laser or pneumatic energy can be applied to shatter stones. These methods are effective but carry potential treatment complications, including bleeding, infection, and lingering stone fragments that may require further procedures. Surgery pain and recovery can vary depending on the size and location of the stones.
When Inaction Becomes Medical Negligence
If your doctor suspects you have kidney stones but simply sends you home with orders to drink more fluids without investigating further, your situation could get progressively worse. You could contract an infection that could lead to sepsis. Some kidney stones require aggressive treatments, including surgery, in order to give you pain relief. If your condition requires more than just an order to hydrate, but your doctor fails to take further action, you are the one who pays the price.
Even if you did receive treatment in a timely manner to take care of the stones, your doctor may have missed the fact that you already had an infection that later got out of control. If you end up with sepsis from kidney stones, the possibility exists that you did not receive the appropriate standard of care.
Why Legal Help May Be Necessary
Sepsis from kidney stones is often preventable when the correct medical steps are taken. Unfortunately, not all patients receive the care they need. If a physician overlooks symptoms, fails to order blood tests, misreads results, or delays referring you to a specialist for treating kidney stones, the outcome can be catastrophic. These types of failures may rise to the level of medical malpractice.
Patients who suffered due to mismanaged or ignored kidney conditions often deal with long-term health impacts. If you were harmed by a provider’s failure to diagnose or treat an infection caused by kidney stones, legal action may help you recover damages for your medical bills, ongoing care, and emotional distress.
Talk to Davis & Davis About Your Legal Options
At Davis & Davis, we’ve seen the consequences of delayed or improper care involving kidney stones and infections. We focus exclusively on medical malpractice law and bring over 70 years of combined experience to every case we handle. From misdiagnosed urinary tract infections to full-blown sepsis from kidney stones, we understand the medical details and legal standards that can make or break your claim.
We’re based in Houston, but we work with clients throughout Texas and across the country. If you believe your doctor failed to act when you needed help, you deserve answers. Contact us at (713) 781-5200 or reach out through our contact form to discuss your case.
FAQs About Kidney Stones and Sepsis
What are the symptoms that kidney stones have led to an infection?
Symptoms suggesting a kidney stone has caused an infection include fever, chills, severe back or flank pain, nausea, vomiting, blood in the urine, and a burning sensation during urination. If infection has spread to the bloodstream, additional signs of sepsis may appear, including confusion, rapid breathing, and very low blood pressure. Any combination of these symptoms warrants immediate medical evaluation. Delays in treatment can allow a kidney infection to become life-threatening.
When does a kidney stone become a medical emergency?
A kidney stone becomes a medical emergency when it causes a complete obstruction of urine flow, when an infection is present alongside the blockage, or when signs of sepsis appear. Large stones that cannot pass on their own typically require procedures such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ureteroscopy. If your doctor sent you home with only instructions to drink more water without investigating for infection or obstruction, and your condition worsened, that may reflect a failure to meet the standard of care.
What are the risks of untreated small kidney stones?
Even small kidney stones can cause big problems if they are ignored. They might not seem serious, but they can grow, shift position, or trigger a urinary tract infection. In rare cases, untreated stones can lead to complications like blockage or infection, potentially progressing to sepsis.
Can I file a medical malpractice claim if my kidney stone led to sepsis?
You may have a valid medical malpractice claim if your healthcare provider failed to properly evaluate a kidney stone infection, delayed treatment, or missed clear signs of developing sepsis. The key is demonstrating that a competent physician following accepted standards would have acted differently, and that the failure directly caused your worsening condition. Davis & Davis offers free case evaluations for Texans who suffered serious complications from kidney stones, including sepsis, organ damage, or prolonged hospitalization.
How are large kidney stones treated, and what are the risks?
Large kidney stones that cannot pass naturally are typically treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), which uses sound waves to break stones into smaller fragments, or ureteroscopy, where a thin scope is inserted to remove or break up the stone directly. In more severe cases, surgical removal may be necessary. These procedures carry risks including bleeding, infection, and residual stone fragments that may require additional treatment. Failure to properly manage these risks or to follow up after treatment can lead to serious complications.
