How to treat kidney pyelonephritis. Symptoms, complications, risk groups

Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment of pyelonephritis

Detection, treatment of pyelonephritis and its prevention is based on specific knowledge. Pyelonephritis is a pathology of the kidneys of an infectious and inflammatory nature, in most cases it is unilateral. According to statistics, women get sick more often (mainly after cystitis), men less often (due to complications of prostate adenoma and prostatitis). Chronic pyelonephritis in men does not differ in clinical symptoms from the female version.

Causes and symptoms of pyelonephritis

In most cases, the causative agent is Escherichia coli, which sinks into the urinary tract and moves up to the kidney. Due to a certain anatomical feature, women get sick more often: the urethra is shorter and wider, and it is also located closer to the anus.

In some cases, the kidney is affected without involving the bladder in the pathological process. Acute pyelonephritis is especially troublesome, the treatment of which depends on the type of infectious agent.

Acute infectious kidney damage generally develops very quickly, in a few days, sometimes hours (how to treat renal pyelonephritis depends on the speed of the process). Symptoms are typical, as for any infectious diseases:

Increased body temperature (above 38 degrees Celsius).
Shivering, a feeling of chill, which is replaced by a feeling of heat.
Painful unpleasant sensations in the lumbar region on one side (where the diseased kidney is projected).
In many cases – nausea and vomiting of a reflex character.

The acute process may soon turn into chronic pyelonephritis, the treatment of which is also reduced to antibacterial therapy

If the bladder is simultaneously affected, the above-described symptoms are joined by frequent urination with rizziness, while the urine is dark and cloudy, smells unpleasant, and in some cases there is blood in the urine.

A special type is infectious kidney damage during pregnancy, or the so-called gestational pyelonephritis, the diagnosis of which should be carried out by a highly qualified urologist< /a>.

Complications of acute and chronic pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is dangerous due to complications. The most frequent:

Kidney failure.
Abscess.
Sepsis (widespread blood infection).
On the background of urolithiasis, calculous pyelonephritis can occur, the exacerbation of which can lead to urodynamic disturbances and renal colic.

If you were not ill with anything before pyelonephritis, then such consequences are unlikely. There are several risk groups:

Diabetics.
Pregnant.
Elderly people are over 65 years old.
Patients with chronic infectious impressions.
People with weakened immunity.

Secondary pyelonephritis occurs as a complication of infectious diseases.

Urinalysis and other diagnostic methods

The detection of pyelonephritis is based on the study of the clinical picture and the data of additional examination methods - equally laboratory and instrumental. If bilateral pyelonephritis occurs, the urine analysis does not differ from the analysis for unilateral infection. Bacterial culture of urine is necessary to determine the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs, since pyelonephritis is caused by different strains of microorganisms that react differently to antibacterial drugs (in particular, antibiotics).

In addition to bacteriological analysis, among the main diagnostic methods are blood and urine analysis, as well as X-ray examination of the kidneys for the detection of stones (thanks to them, the clinical picture of pyelonephritis can differ significantly). First of all, urine analysis in pyelonephritis shows an increase in the number of leukocytes.

Treatment of various types of pyelonephritis

In addition to medicines, bed rest and a special diet are extremely important. You should not refuse to drink liquid (which allegedly burdens the kidneys) - on the contrary, drinking will prevent dehydration. The diet may not be too strict in the treatment of chronic pyelonephritis.

The diet can include stale bread, vegetable soups, cereals, vegetables, low-fat fish and meat, milk and kefir, sunflower oil. Fruits, berries, their juices, dill and parsley are allowed in moderate quantities. Prohibited broths (both meat and fish), sweets and spices should be consumed in moderation.

First of all, antibacterial drugs are used for treatment - in particular, antibiotics and nitrofurans, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs that do not affect microorganisms, but fight the consequences of their vital activity - the inflammatory process in the kidney tissues. The patient must undergo a full course of anti-infective therapy and take drugs until the last day of the course, even if the symptoms of the disease have significantly decreased or are not observed at all.

Treatment of acute pyelonephritis should be carried out in a clinic under the supervision of a urologist. At the stage of subsidence of the disease, the patient can be discharged home, but periodic control examinations are carried out.