Renal pelvic inflammation (pyelonephritis)

Pyelonephritis is usually an ascending infection in which bacteria from the inflamed bladder infect the kidneys via the ureters. Women are much more susceptible to this type of infection than men.

The typical symptoms of pyelonephritis are flank pain on one or both sides combined with fever. Signs of cystitis, such as painful and frequent urination, are also often present. However, these symptoms can also precede the kidney infection by a few days to a few weeks. Not all of these features necessarily occur.

At the latest when flank pain and fever occur, you should see a urologist.

In addition to the physical examination, an ultrasound of the kidneys is the most important examination for confirming the diagnosis and ruling out possible encapsulated collections of pus (kidney abscesses). Often, however, there are other causes of the symptoms, such as ureteral stones. These cause urinary retention, which, if unrecognised and untreated, can lead to severe courses, up to and including blood poisoning. In case of doubt, the urologist will therefore arrange additional X-ray examinations.

The key to successful treatment is intravenous administration of a suitable antibiotic for at least 7–10 days. Sufficient fluid intake must also be ensured. In the event of fever, a bladder catheter should also be inserted for a few days to ensure that the infected urine can drain freely from the urinary tract.

With the right treatment, the disease is usually over after 1–2 weeks. Untreated infections can develop into a chronic infection, often unnoticed, which can lead to abscesses and permanent kidney damage.