Acute Pyelonephritis Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Acute pyelonephritis is a condition where there is a bacterial infection in the kidneys. This condition is a severe infection that can damage the kidneys because it can lead to permanent disorders. This occurs due to scar tissue in the kidney. In addition, this infection can also cause death.
Acute pyelonephritis is an upper urinary tract infection. Misdiagnosis can lead to chronic pyelonephritis which can lead to secondary hypertension and kidney failure.
Symptoms
Some signs of acute pyelonephritis that usually appear include:
Other symptoms that may also be present are:
- Dysuria, which is pain or a burning sensation when urinating
- Frequency of urination
Reason
Acute pyelonephritis results from a bacterial infection. Generally, the bacteria that cause it are bacteria that go up to the kidneys from the lower urinary tract. Several types of bacteria that can cause acute pyelonephritis include Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella spp, Citrobacter spp, and Enterobacter spp.
Apart from rising from the lower urinary tract, bacteria can also reach the kidneys through the bloodstream.
Diagnosis
To determine the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis will carry out a series of medical interviews and physical examinations. Urinalysis and urine culture are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Pyuria or the presence of pus in the urine is often found in patients with acute pyelonephritis. This condition can be confirmed through a leukocyte esterase test or nitrite test.
Treatment
To treat acute pyelonephritis, proper diagnosis is needed due to the severity of the effects that can occur due to this disease. Therefore, when experiencing symptoms, sufferers should immediately visit a doctor.
The doctor will prescribe strong antibiotic therapy to prevent the disease from getting worse. In conditions that are quite severe (for example, there is severe damage due to pus, large kidney stones that block the urinary tract, death of kidney tissue) surgery may be needed to cure the patient.
In the process of treatment, it is important for sufferers to take antibiotics properly and complete all of these medications. Avoid dehydrated conditions, because the condition of lack of fluids can worsen work and increase the burden on the kidneys.
Prevention
Although acute pyelonephritis is caused by a bacterial infection, infection will only occur if there has been a disturbance in the function of the body’s organs. For bacteria that reach the kidneys through the blood, it generally occurs due to the use of injected illegal drugs (because they are often not sterile). Therefore avoid using these objects.
Meanwhile, bacteria that rise from the lower urinary tract usually occur due to a blockage in the urinary tract which causes blockage of urinary output. One of the causes of this blockage is kidney stones (other causes of blockage include cancer and narrowing of the renal tract).