SEVERE SEPSIS FOLLOWING PERCUTANEOUS OR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES FOR URINARY-TRACT STONES

Nine cases of severe sepsis following percutaneous or endoscopic proce dures for upper urinary tract stones are reported. The mortality rate was 66%. Despite the fact that approximately 700 procedures were carri ed out in males and females in roughly equal proportions, a striking b ut inexplicable feature was that all 9 patients in the study group wer e female. Severe systemic sepsis has a high mortality rate and any pro cedure that may put patients at risk of this complication should not b e undertaken lightly (and certainly not as an out-patient procedure). Recovery is possible with a high index of suspicion, early interventio n and intensive treatment.