Is pyelonephritis more serious or nephritis more serious?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 15, 2024
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Pyelonephritis is an upper urinary tract infection caused by a bacterial infection, leading to an inflammatory response in the urinary system. The severity of this condition can vary. Nephritis, on the other hand, refers to the sterile inflammation within the glomeruli of the kidney, which also varies in severity. Therefore, it is challenging to compare these two diseases in terms of their severity. In the case of pyelonephritis, most conditions are relatively more treatable, and using antibiotics can control acute pyelonephritis. However, a small number of patients may develop severe complications such as perinephric abscess, acute renal failure, renal papillary necrosis, and even death from septic shock. The severity of nephritis also varies, with symptoms ranging from significant proteinuria to mild hematuria. Therefore, a comparison should be based on the specific conditions of the patients. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Pan Wu Shan
Nephrology
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Can pyelonephritis lead to pregnancy?

Pyelonephritis is actually a urinary tract infection. It is not the same as nephritis, so do not confuse the two. Thus, pregnancy is completely feasible for someone with pyelonephritis; as long as the infection is treated, the urine test shows negative results, and there are no white blood cells, pregnancy can occur without any impact. Currently, the treatment for pyelonephritis is anti-infection therapy. Since the bacteria have entered the kidney via the urethra, this treatment needs to last for two weeks. If the treatment duration is insufficient, there could be a recurrence of pyelonephritis. Additionally, it is important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, avoid holding urine, consume more than 2500 milliliters of water daily, and maintain a light diet avoiding spicy and irritating foods.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can pyelonephritis be cured?

Whether pyelonephritis can be cured mainly depends on whether the patient has predisposing factors for urinary tract infections. These factors primarily include: Firstly, abnormalities in the anatomical structure of the urinary tract that may lead to obstruction of urine excretion, such as urological system stones, tumors, prolonged indwelling catheters, congenital abnormalities of the urinary system, and others. Additionally, there are some conditions that may lead to a decreased immune response, such as elderly individuals who are bedridden, those with diabetes, or patients using immunosuppressants. If the aforementioned factors are present, treatment of such cases of pyelonephritis might be challenging, with patients possibly experiencing recurrent episodes and potentially progressing to chronic pyelonephritis, eventually becoming difficult to cure completely. However, if none of these factors exist, the majority of cases with simple acute pyelonephritis can be cured and controlled by medication.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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How is acute pyelonephritis treated?

Acute pyelonephritis is a problem caused by an infection, also known as an upper urinary tract infection. Therefore, the treatment plan for this disease should be based on the pathogen. The vast majority of acute pyelonephritis is caused by bacterial inflammation, so antibiotics are often required. It is generally recommended that patients should receive intravenous antibiotic treatment to kill the bacteria, choosing the antibiotics sensitive to the results of urine culture. After 10 to 14 days of treatment, the condition of acute pyelonephritis can usually be controlled in most cases. The patient's body temperature will gradually decrease, symptoms of back pain will ease, and the white blood cells in the urine will also disappear. Only a very few cases of acute pyelonephritis are difficult to treat because such patients may have predisposing factors to urinary tract infection such as diabetes and urinary system stones. (Specific medication use should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
1min 4sec home-news-image

Is pyelonephritis more serious or nephritis more serious?

Pyelonephritis is an upper urinary tract infection caused by a bacterial infection, leading to an inflammatory response in the urinary system. The severity of this condition can vary. Nephritis, on the other hand, refers to the sterile inflammation within the glomeruli of the kidney, which also varies in severity. Therefore, it is challenging to compare these two diseases in terms of their severity. In the case of pyelonephritis, most conditions are relatively more treatable, and using antibiotics can control acute pyelonephritis. However, a small number of patients may develop severe complications such as perinephric abscess, acute renal failure, renal papillary necrosis, and even death from septic shock. The severity of nephritis also varies, with symptoms ranging from significant proteinuria to mild hematuria. Therefore, a comparison should be based on the specific conditions of the patients. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Niu Yan Lin
Nephrology
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The difference between pyelonephritis and nephritis

Pyelonephritis and nephritis are two completely different diseases. Pyelonephritis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc. Treatment generally requires the use of antibiotics. The vast majority of patients can fully recover within two weeks under the treatment of sensitive antibiotics, without any sequelae. On the other hand, nephritis is mostly an autoimmune disease, not an infectious disease caused by pathogens. Therefore, its treatment does not require the use of antibiotics. Treatment usually involves ACE inhibitors or ARB type RUSH blockers, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, cytotoxic drugs, etc., and the course of nephritis is relatively long, with some patients having relatively poor prognosis. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)