Common anti-hemostatic medications increase the severity of uropathogenic Escherichia coli sepsis

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) causes urinary tract infections that can result in sepsis. Hemostasis is protective in the pyelonephritis stage of ascending UPEC infection, the role of hemostasis but has not been investigated during sepsis. Here we utilize a zebrafish-UPEC sepsis model to visualize infection-induced coagulation and examine the effects of commonly prescribed anti-hemostatic medications on the infection severity. Treatment of septic zebrafish with warfarin, aspirin, or ticagrelor reduced host survival, while stabilization of clots with aminocaproic acid increased host survival. Our findings provide evidence that commonly prescribed anti-hemostatic medications may worsen the outcome of severe UPEC infection.