Kidney Symptoms: Kidney infection or UTI

Bacteriuria and pyuria demonstrated at urinary microscopy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Infection of the kidney usually occurs as a consequence of an ascending urinary tract infection or UTI. The bacteria gain access to the bladder and multiply overcoming the defenses of the host and migrating up to the kidney where they produce the syndrome of pyelonephritis or kidney infection.

When a simple urinary tract infection ascends to become a kidney infection there is usually worsening of the fever and generalized weakness and lethargy associated with back pain and vomiting. There may also be tenderness of the back over the kidneys which are approximately mid way up the back on either side of the spine. The pain produced by tapping over this area is usually excruciating in nature. A severe kidney infection may also spread to the lungs and produces symptoms of pneumonia in some cases. Once the infection enters the blood stream the kidney infection is said to have caused sepsis. Sepsis is both the presence of the infecting bacteria within the blood as well as the reaction of the body to the bacteria which is usually associated with increased respiratory rate, increased pulse rate and decreased blood pressure.

Women are at increased risk of kidney infections as they have a higher overall prevalance of urinary tract infection. Because men are not predisposed to urinary tract infection the presence of a kidney infection should prompt a detailed search for the cause of the infection as it is not unusual to find an anatomical abnormality that has caused the kidney infection in a male or the presence of kidney stones.

Recurrent kidney infection in either sex should result in a detailed investigation of the urinary tract. The goal being to correct any abnormality predisposing to kidney infection. Thus preventing permanent kidney damage from the repeated healing of the inflammation produced by bacteria.