Urgent situations
Sudden confusion (UTI is one possible cause)
Sudden confusion can have many causes—some urgent. This page helps you triage and take the next step safely.
Quick checklist
- Call 911 if confusion starts suddenly with stroke signs, severe headache, chest pain, or breathing trouble.
- If they are very sleepy, hard to wake, or unsafe to supervise, treat it as urgent.
- Check basics: hydration, fever, new meds, low blood sugar (if applicable).
- Confusion is not automatically a UTI — it’s one possibility among many.
Call now / go now
- Stroke signs: face droop, arm weakness, speech trouble — call 911.
- High fever, severe weakness, or rapid decline: urgent evaluation.
- New confusion after a fall/head hit: urgent evaluation.
Common causes to consider
- Dehydration, poor sleep, pain, constipation.
- Medication side effects (especially sedatives, pain meds, anticholinergics) or missed doses.
- Infections (UTI, pneumonia, skin infections).
- Low blood sugar (diabetes), low oxygen, electrolyte imbalance.
What to do next
- If stable, call the primary care office and describe: when it started, what’s different, and any fever/pain/urination changes.
- Ask whether they recommend same-day evaluation or testing (urine, vitals, labs).
- If symptoms worsen, don’t wait—seek urgent care or emergency services.