What is Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis)? How is the Diagnosis and Treatment?

Pyelonephritis or kidney infection is when microorganisms come to our kidneys and cause inflammation as a result of their settlement and proliferation.

Depending on the severity of the inflammation, it may progress to the state we call kidney failure and urosepsis, resulting in death. Therefore, it is a disease that needs to be treated.

It has two types, acute and chronic pyelonephritis.

Acute pyelonephritis manifests itself with severe symptoms such as severe flank pain, fever, chills, chills, nausea and vomiting on the affected side. In addition, with cystitis, it can be seen with symptoms such as frequent urination and burning in the urine.

Chronic pyelonephritis is more insidious and presents with mild fever, general malaise, ongoing pain in the affected side, decrease in urine and renal failure in the advanced period.

We can divide pyelonephritis into two as simple and complicated. There is nothing serious underlying in simple kidney infection and the picture is milder and responds very quickly to treatment. It usually progresses as an acute infection.

Complicated pyelonephritis develops secondary to a serious cause such as underlying kidney stones, tuberculosis, congenital kidney diseases and other diseases involving the kidney. If left untreated, it may result in kidney failure.

A good history of kidney infection should be taken first and then the patient should be examined in detail. If urine analysis, urine culture and fever are high, after blood culture is taken, antibiotic treatment that will affect the possible microorganism should be given and ultrasonography and computed tomography / MRI examinations should be performed when necessary.

The acute type of pyelonephritis is urgent and requires immediate treatment of kidney infection. After the patient is diagnosed, hospitalization may be recommended. If necessary, antibiotic treatment and fluid therapy should be done.

If the patient is not very heavy, home treatment can be continued after stabilization. In complicated pyelonephritis, the underlying cause should be determined after emergency treatment is initiated.

If there is a kidney stone, it should be treated surgically if necessary. It should be investigated and treated for tuberculosis or chronic infections. If there are congenital kidney anomalies, they should be treated surgically when necessary.