Causes Of Kidney Infection
For the average person, getting a kidney infection is relatively uncommon. There are some conditions, however, that can lead to kidney infections. The medical term for this kind of infection is called pyelonephritis. It can lead to kidney failure and also to spread of infection from the kidneys to the bloodstream, leading to a dangerous case of gram negative sepsis, which can be fatal in the elderly.
Kidney stones can be a cause of chronic or recurrent kidney infection. Stones are foreign bodies inside the “pelvis” or urinary side of the kidney and can allow bacteria to seed onto them. The kidney stones then become a reservoir for bacteria, leading to recurrent infection.
Prostate disease can cause kidney infection. When the prostate is enlarged or inflamed, it can result in a back up of urine from the bladder all the way up to the kidneys. This can trap bacteria in the urinary tract and can lead to both bladder and kidney infections. These can be very dangerous because prostate enlargement is most common in elderly men who often do not fight off infection well. The mortality rate from kidney infections is higher in the elderly than they are in young people.
Any kind of narrowing or blockage further down the urinary tract can cause kidney infection. Children can be born with abnormal ureters that cause them to develop kidney infections at a very early age. Only through X-Rays involving dye can the blockage be found and repaired. Anytime a child gets frequent bladder or kidney infections, especially boys in which infections are rare, an X-Ray should be done to determine whether or not the child is born with an abnormally placed ureters or ureters.
Women in pregnancy are prone to kidney infection. They often present with blood in the urine and extreme pain on the side where the infected kidney is. This can cause irritability of the uterus and preterm labor.
Most kidney infection problems occur when bacteria come up from the outside through the bladder and up inside the ureters. In rarer cases, however, the individual can have infection first in the bloodstream, a condition called gram negative sepsis. Because the kidney filters blood, it can collect bacteria and cause infection in the kidneys themselves.
The signs and symptoms of a kidney infection are often unmistakable. The individual experiences a fever with flank pain on the side where the kidney is infected. They also have bacteria, blood and sometimes kidney cells showing up in the urinalysis. This is a very painful infection and must be treated aggressively.
The primary cause of a kidney infection is that of bacteria called Gram negative bacteria. They are the type of bacteria found in the stool and because of the proximity of the rectum and the urethra, bacteria from the stool can come up through the urethra, into the bladder and up through the ureters to the kidneys.
Michael Webb
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/causes-of-kidney-infection-106604.html
November 21st, 2009 at 7:21 am
What causes kidney infection? can it be dangerous?
Some girl I know has got it,,,is it worst for a female to have it?
November 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
kidney infections are normally caused by untreated bladder infections, the bacteria grow and travel up the ureturs to the kidneys. Yes, it can be very dangerous, it is called cystitis, and one’s kidneys can shut down from cystitis. You cannot live without your kidneys. It is more common for females to get cystitis, but it is as bad for a man as it is for a woman to have it.
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RN
November 21st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
It’s caused by getting bacteria in your urethra. The bacteria can get in your urethra from having sex or form other reasons. The bacteria causes a urinary tract infection that might spread to the kidneys if its not treated. When it spreads to the kidney’s it is a kidney infection, and can be very painful. It can be treated with oral antibiotics, but some doctors might give an antibiotic in an injection or IV if it is really bad. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water while getting better. Its not worse for a girl to have it, its just easier for them to get one because the urethra is much shorter on girls than guys. It can lead to kidney failure, so its critical to get to a doc.
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November 21st, 2009 at 12:27 pm
It is caused by bacteria entering through the urethrea and working its way up the urinary tract to the kidneys. It can cause sepsis if left untreated, and that can be dangerous.
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November 21st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
It is when toxins get into the kidneys and they can not filter them out correctly. yes, it can be dangerous. When your kidneys shut down – you die ( well – dialysis). Causes can be not keeping yourself really clean down there, too much caffeine, not enough water to filter your system, sit baths and I am sure there are other causes. There needs to be a round of sulfa antibiotics administered and drink lots of water, clear liquids and cranberry juice (100%) It is more common for women to get them because of our anatomy ( girlie parts).
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November 21st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that can happen anywhere along the urinary tract — the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes that take urine from each kidney to the bladder), the bladder, or the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder to the outside).
Cystitis, a common condition, is usually caused by a bacterium from the anus entering the urethra and then the bladder. This leads to inflammation and infection in the lower urinary tract.
Certain people are more likely to get UTIs. Women tend to get them more often because their urethra is shorter and closer to the anus. Elderly people (especially those in nursing homes) and people with diabetes also get more UTIs.
In addition, the following risk factors increase the chances of getting a UTI:
Pregnancy and menopause
Kidney stones
Sexual intercourse, especially if you have multiple partners or use a diaphragm for birth control
Prostate inflammation or enlargement
Narrowed urethra
Immobility (for example, during recovery from a hip fracture)
Not drinking enough fluids
Bowel incontinence
Catheterization
Prevention:
Keep your genital area clean.
Wipe from front to back.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Urinate after sexual intercourse.
Avoid fluids that irritate the bladder, like alcohol and caffeine.
Drink cranberry juice, but NOT if you have a personal or family history of kidney stones.
DO NOT douche or use similar feminine hygiene products.
Wear cloth undergarments
References :
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000521.htm
November 21st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Yes, it can. My daughter had one, had called her doctor, took her to ER; they pumped some antibiotics in her, intraveiniously, for a couple of hours, sent her home. The next day she felt better, but the day after, she had to be hospitalized for a couple of days. You’d better see that she gets to the doctor or hospital. They can do urine tests and then can advise as to how to proceed. Don’t mess around with this.
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November 21st, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
Pyelonephritis most often occurs as a result of urinary tract infection, particularly in the presence of occasional or persistent backflow of urine from the bladder into the ureters or kidney pelvis (vesicoureteric reflux).
Pyelonephritis can be further classified as follows:
Acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis (sudden development of kidney inflammation)
Chronic pyelonephritis (a long-standing infection that does not clear)
Although cystitis (bladder infection) is common, pyelonephritis occurs much less often. The risk is increased if there is a history of cystitis, renal papillary necrosis, kidney stones, vesicoureteric reflux, or obstructive uropathy.
The risk is also increased when there is a history of chronic or recurrent urinary tract infection and when the infection is caused by a particularly aggressive type of bacteria.
Acute pyelonephritis can be severe in the elderly and in people who are immunosuppressed (for example, those with cancer or AIDS).
Symptoms Return to top
Flank pain or back pain
Severe abdominal pain (occurs occasionally)
Fever
Higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
Persists for more than 2 days
Chills with shaking
Warm skin
Flushed or reddened skin
Moist skin (diaphoresis)
Vomiting, nausea
Fatigue
General ill feeling
Painful urination
Increased urinary frequency or urgency
Need to urinate at night (nocturia)
Cloudy or abnormal urine color
Blood in the urine
Foul or strong urine odor
Mental changes or confusion *
* Sometimes in the elderly, mental changes or confusion are the only signs of a urinary tract infection.
Signs and tests Return to top
An examination may show tenderness on palpation (pressing) over the kidney.
A urinalysis commonly reveals white blood cells (WBCs) or red blood cells (RBCs) in the urine.
A urine culture from aclean catch or urine culture (catheterized specimen) may reveal bacteria in the urine.
A blood culture may show an infection.
An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) or CT scan of the abdomen may show enlarged kidneys with poor flow of dye through the kidneys. IVP and CT scan of the abdomen can also indicate underlying disorders.
Underlying abnormalities of the kidney that put a patient at high risk for acute pyelonephritis may be discovered by additional tests and procedures, including the following:
Voiding cystourethrogram
Renal ultrasound
Renal scan
Renal biopsy
Treatment Return to top
The goals of treatment are control of the infection and reduction of symptoms. Acute symptoms usually disappear within 48 to 72 hours after appropriate treatment.
Due to the high mortality rate in the elderly population and the risk of complications, prompt treatment is recommended.
After obtaining a urine culture to identify the bacteria, antibiotics are selected to treat the infection.
MEDICATIONS
Intravenous (IV) antibiotics may be used initially to control the bacterial infection if your infection is severe or you cannot take antibiotics by mouth. In acute cases of pyelonephritis, you may receive a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics.
Chronic pyelonephritis may require long-term antibiotic therapy. It is imperative that you finish taking the entire course of prescribed antibiotics. Commonly used antibiotics include the following:
Sulfa drugs such as sulfisoxazole/trimethoprim
Amoxicillin
Cephalosporins
Levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin
Permanent kidney damage can rarely result from these infections when they are chronic, when they occur in a transplanted kidney, or when multiple infections occur during infancy or childhood. Acute kidney injury (acute renal failure) may occur when an infection is severe enough to result in shock (low blood pressure). Severe episodes of acute kidney injury may result in permanent kidney damage and lead to chronic kidney disease.
The elderly, infants, and people with a compromised immune system are at increased risk for developing sepsis (a severe blood infection) and shock. Often, these people will be admitted to the hospital to receive frequent monitoring for potential problems and to receive IV antibiotics, additional IV fluids, and other medications as necessary.
MONITORING
In diabetic patients and pregnant women, as well as in people with spinal paralysis, follow-up should include a urine culture at the completion of antibiotic therapy to ensure that bacteria are no longer present in the urine.
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