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Pyelonephritis
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Symptoms & Signs
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Prevention & Expectations
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Attribution
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidneys or the ureters. The ureters are small tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Pyelonephritis may come on suddenly or it may be a long-term problem.
What is going on in the body?
Escherichia coli is a bacteria that is normally found in the large intestine. It causes about 90 percent of kidney infections. These infections usually spread from the genital area through the ureters to the bladder. In a healthy urinary tract, the infection is prevented from going to the kidneys by the flow of urine, which washes organisms out. When bacteria enter the usually "germ-free" urinary tract, they can cause pyelonephritis.
What are the causes and risks of the infection?
Pyelonephritis is usually caused by bacteria entering the kidneys from the bladder. The most common causes of this bacteria reaching the bladder include:
Symptoms & Signs
What are the signs and symptoms of the infection?
Symptoms of pyelonephritis may include:
Diagnosis & Tests
How is the infection diagnosed?
Diagnosis requires a urinalysis, or urine test. A urine culture is also done on a urine sample to see if there are bacteria in the urine. Typical findings include pus, white blood cells, and blood in the urine. X-rays are also helpful in the diagnosis.
Prevention & Expectations
What can be done to prevent the infection?
There are many ways to prevent the spread of bacteria in the urinary tract. These include:
What are the long-term effects of the infection?
Untreated pyelonephritis can lead to:
What are the risks to others?
Pyelonephritis is not contagious. Certain conditions that increase a person's risk of kidney infection, such as sexually transmitted disease, may be very contagious.
Treatment & Monitoring
What are the treatments for the infection?
A person is usually given antibiotics as soon as the diagnosis of a kidney infection seems likely. The most common antibiotics prescribed include:
A person with a severe infection may need to be hospitalized. Sometimes surgery is needed to correct a physical problem with the urinary tract.
What are the side effects of the treatments?
The side effects of antibiotics include stomach upset, rash, or allergic reaction. The side effects of surgery include bleeding, infection, or an allergic reaction to anesthesia.
What happens after treatment for the infection?
It is very important for the person to complete the full course of antibiotics. In some cases, a low dose of an antibiotic may be prescribed for a person to take continually to keep the infection from coming back.
Sometimes a person has many episodes of pyelonephritis in a short time period. Further testing may need to be done to rule out kidney disease or urinary tract abnormalities. Common tests include:
How is the infection monitored?
Follow-up urine cultures need to be done several weeks after the person is finished taking the antibiotics. This is important to make sure that the treatment has been effective. Untreated pyelonephritis can lead to very serious kidney damage. Any new or worsening symptoms should be reported to the healthcare provider.
Attribution
Author:Eileen McLaughlin, RN, BSN
Date Written:
Editor:Smith, Mary Ellen, BS
Edit Date:09/14/00
Reviewer:Gail Hendrickson, RN, BS
Date Reviewed:07/05/01
Sources
www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/summary/pyelonep/pyelonep.htm
www.afud.org
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Fauci, 1998