Spicy pyelonephritis is a localized inflammation that affects the mucous membrane of the renal pelvis. Often caused by infectious pathogens of the intestinal bacterial flora.
The infection triggers an inflammatory process of a suppurative nature in the kidney with the formation of small abscesses that spread in the affected organ. Spicy pyelonephritis has a benign course, with proper treatment, the symptoms tend to regress after about two weeks. With concomitant anomalies of the genitourinary system, the infection may be particularly resistant to therapy, and sometimes there is a transition to the chronic form of the disease.
Spicy pyelonephritis can affect people of any gender and age, but is more common in women and children. Why? In women, the urethra is shorter than in men, and during pregnancy, the uterus can further compress the urinary tract. Other things that make the female gender more vulnerable may be hormonal changes and trauma to the urethra during intercourse. Children: they are more likely to experience symptoms of vesicoureteral reflux .
What are the causes and risk factors?
As mentioned above, most cases of pyelonephritis are caused by intestinal microorganisms that enter the urinary tract, such as E. coli (in 70 - 80% of cases), enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and various types of Klebsiella .
In most cases, pyelonephritis begins with urinary tract infections, especially cystitis and prostatitis. Escherichia coli can invade the bladder cells to form intracellular bacterial communities. These communities are highly resistant to immune system responses and antibiotic therapy , which explains the recurrence of urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis .
There are several factors that predispose to acute pyelonephritis . First of all, it is worth mentioning the anatomist about - functional changes that can cause obstruction of the outflow of urine or facilitate the entry of pathogens into the bladder. These include: birth defects, short urethra in women, sexual intercourse, tumors, strictures, kidney stones, prostatic hypertrophy, neurological damage to the bladder and sphincters (spina bifida, multiple sclerosis). Also worth mentioning is the incomplete emptying of the bladder and catheterization . During catheter insertion, bacteria can enter the bladder intraluminally or through contact with the external surface. Ureteral stents or drainage procedures (such as a nephrostomy ) also increase the risk of developing pyelonephritis .
What are the signs of an acute pyelonephritis ?
The disease usually begins rapidly, the symptoms develop rapidly within a few hours or days. Pyelonephritis can cause malaise, nausea, vomiting, painful urination, and abdominal pain, unilateral or bilateral, that radiates to the back. The onset of fever is variable, but usually causes severe chills and is associated with poor general health (fatigue, weakness, anorexia , etc.).
Pyelonephritis is often associated with symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection, such as frequent urination, hematuria, or dysuria (difficulty passing urine without necessarily causing pain). Bacteriological examination of urine is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of infection. The urine is cloudy due to the presence of cells or bacteria. In patients with acute pyelonephritis often causes pain in the back, at the level of one or both kidneys, which occur suddenly and can have different intensity.
What to do?
If you had to deal with the symptoms described above, it makes sense to consult a urologist at Bogolyuby Medical Center for diagnosis and effective treatment. Usually patients with acute pyelonephritis without signs of septicemia is treated with antibiotics. In most cases, the infectious agent dies within 14 days of antibiotic therapy , however, the duration of treatment may vary depending on the severity of the patient's clinical picture.
