Is pyelonephritis serious?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on January 03, 2025
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Pyelonephritis, also known as an upper urinary tract infection, occurs in the majority of cases when bacteria enter the renal pelvis and calices, causing an inflammatory response. This condition is indeed characterized by severe symptoms and an aggressive onset. Patients may suddenly develop a fever, with temperatures even exceeding 39°C, and experience back pain. Some patients may also exhibit clinical signs such as hematuria. The symptoms are indeed severe, and there is a pronounced systemic inflammatory response, leaving patients feeling listless, dizzy, headachy, and lacking appetite. However, the treatment for this disease generally yields good results. After antibiotic treatment, most patients can gradually see symptom relief within 3 to 5 days, and the condition is mostly curable after 10 to 14 days of medication.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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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 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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Is pyelonephritis easy to treat?

Pyelonephritis is generally not difficult to treat. Because the condition often appears quite aggressive, it is caused by bacteria entering the urinary system through the urethra, leading to an inflammatory response. Therefore, the primary treatment involves using antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Most of the bacteria causing pyelonephritis are Gram-negative rods, so antibiotics sensitive to Gram-negative rods are often chosen. After a treatment course of 10-14 days, the patient's condition is generally controllable and curable. However, there are also a few cases of chronic pyelonephritis, involving complex factors related to urinary tract infections, such as urinary tract malformations, urinary system stones, prostate hyperplasia, diabetes, etc., which make treatment more difficult. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
56sec home-news-image

Is pyelonephritis serious?

Pyelonephritis, also known as an upper urinary tract infection, occurs in the majority of cases when bacteria enter the renal pelvis and calices, causing an inflammatory response. This condition is indeed characterized by severe symptoms and an aggressive onset. Patients may suddenly develop a fever, with temperatures even exceeding 39°C, and experience back pain. Some patients may also exhibit clinical signs such as hematuria. The symptoms are indeed severe, and there is a pronounced systemic inflammatory response, leaving patients feeling listless, dizzy, headachy, and lacking appetite. However, the treatment for this disease generally yields good results. After antibiotic treatment, most patients can gradually see symptom relief within 3 to 5 days, and the condition is mostly curable after 10 to 14 days of medication.

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Written by Pan Wu Shan
Nephrology
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Does pyelonephritis cause a fever?

Pyelonephritis is actually a part of urinary tract infections, which are divided into cystitis and acute pyelonephritis. The main symptoms of cystitis are frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination, among other urinary irritative symptoms, and these do not involve fever. However, if cystitis is not treated in time, it can worsen into acute pyelonephritis, which then presents with symptoms such as fever and back pain. The fever with acute pyelonephritis can be quite high, often exceeding 38 or 39 degrees Celsius, and might last for two to three days. At this point, treatment requires anti-infective medications, which should be continued for two weeks without any interruption. If the treatment duration is insufficient, pyelonephritis may recur. It is important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and avoid holding in urine. Drinking lots of water can help flush out bacteria from the urine early on, promoting a quicker recovery from the illness.