Table of contents:
1- What is pyelonephritis?
2- What are the symptoms?
3- What are the causes of pyelonephritis?
4- What are the risk factors of pyelonephritis?
5- Prognosis of pyelonephritis
6- Can it be prevented?
7- What is the treatment?
What is pyelonephritis?
Pyelonephritis is a urinary tract infection that usually starts in the urethra or bladder and reaches one or both kidneys. If this pathology is not treated in time, it may cause long-term damage to the kidneys or the bacteria may reach the bloodstream and cause an infection that could be fatal.
Pyelonephritis can be of two types:
- Acute: it originates secondary to a urinary tract infection.
- Chronic: it is more serious than the acute form. It is due to congenital anomalies that hinder the normal emptying of the renal collecting tubules.
What are the symptoms of pyelonephritis?
Its main symptoms are:
- Low back pain
- Fever
- Chills
- Loss of appetite and general malaise
- Nausea and vomiting
- Painful urination
- Cloudy, strong-smelling urine
- Presence of blood in the urine
There are some signs that are warnings of the need to see a doctor: blood in the urine, fever, or nausea or vomiting.
What are the causes of pyelonephritis?
The main cause of pyelonephritis or kidney infections is the ascent of microorganisms through the urinary tract to the kidneys.
In addition, in some cases kidney infections are caused by bacteria from elsewhere in the body spreading to the kidneys. Such infections can occur, for example, when an artificial joint or heart valve infection occurs.
The main symptoms are lower back pain,
fever and blood in the urine
What are the risk factors for pyelonephritis?
Some aspects that can facilitate a kidney infection are:
– Female sex: women have a shorter urethra, so bacteria move more easily from the outside of the body to the bladder. In addition, there is closer proximity between the urethra, vagina and anus.
– Blockage in the urinary tract: may be caused by a kidney stone, an enlarged prostate, or a urinary tract abnormality.
– Weakness of the immune system: due to pathologies such as diabetes and HIV or medications.
– Spinal cord injury.
– Consequences of a surgical intervention where a urinary catheter has been used to drain urine from the bladder.
Prognosis of pyelonephritis
If kidney infections are not treated in time they can cause permanent damage to the kidneys, such as:
– Scarring: kidney failure, high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease.
– Sepsis or blood poisoning: pyelonephritis can spread bacteria through the bloodstream.
– Difficulties in pregnancy.
Can pyelonephritis be prevented?
This pathology can be prevented by prompt and complete treatment of cystitis and other urinary tract infections in general, especially if they are recurrent or chronic, sometimes using antibiotics to avoid reinfections.
In turn, it is important to treat situations that increase the risk of pyelonephritis, such as obstructive uropathy or vesicoureteral reflux.
Another measure that can prevent the appearance of pyelonephritis is the early detection of bacteriuria in pregnant women, before symptoms appear.
What is the treatment of pyelonephritis?
Treatment is aimed at remitting the infection and reducing acute symptoms. Thus, the methods used are antibiotics, analgesics and antipyretics and intravenous fluids.
If the infection worsens, treatment may include hospitalization with intensive care, urine cultures to ensure that the bacteria have been completely eliminated, or drugs to improve cardiovascular status.