A 32-year-old female complains of chills and tells you she has a urinary tract infection. Her skin is hot to touch and flushed. Her vitals are P 102, R 16, BP 138/78, and SpO2 is 94% on room air. You should suspect an early onset of:

• A. Flu
• B. Sepsis
• C. Renal stones
• D. Kidney stones

Answer: (B)

This item tests recognizing early sepsis, defined as a systemic response to infection. The patient has a known urinary tract infection plus systemic signs: chills, fever with hot, flushed skin, and tachycardia. Blood pressure is still adequate, and oxygen saturation is acceptable, which fits an early, not yet Septic Shock scenario, where the infection has begun to affect the whole body rather than staying localized. Flu would more likely present with respiratory symptoms or a viral picture without a localized UTI, and kidney stones usually cause intense flank or groin pain and do not inherently produce fever and flushing from a systemic infection. The combination of urinary infection plus systemic inflammatory signs points to sepsis.