Pyelonephritis
Alternate Names : Kidney Infection
Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidneys or the ureters.
The ureters are small tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Pyelonephritis may come on suddenly or it may be a long-term problem.
What is going on in the body?
Escherichia coli is a bacteria that
is normally found in the large intestine. It causes about 90 percent of kidney
infections. These infections usually spread from the genital area through the
ureters to the bladder. In a healthy urinary tract, the infection is prevented
from going to the kidneys by the flow of urine, which washes organisms out.
When bacteria enter the usually "germ-free" urinary tract, they can cause
pyelonephritis.
What are the causes and risks of the infection?
Pyelonephritis
is usually caused by bacteria entering the kidneys from the bladder. The most
common causes of this bacteria reaching the bladder include:
use of a urinary catheter for
draining urine from the bladder
surgery on the urinary tract
diagnostic testing that uses a scope to enter the urinary tract, such as
cystoscopy
conditions that block the way the urine flows through the urinary tract,
including uterine fibroids, benign prostatic hyperplasia, kidney stones, and pregnancy
conditions that make a person more prone to infection, such as diabetes
a problem with the urinary tract that is present at birth
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