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Pyelonephritis
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Acute pyelonephritis is what happens when an infection caused by bacteria reaches the kidney and inflames it; it is one of the kidney diseases doctors see most.
It usually comes from below: it starts as a urinary tract infection that travels up from the bladder to the kidney, which is called an ascending infection. It is a fire that starts on the ground floor and climbs the stairs. It can also arrive through the bloodstream, though that is less common. The most common cause is the bacterium Escherichia coli.
And there is not just one form. Complicated pyelonephritis is distinguished from uncomplicated pyelonephritis, and the chronic form describes something else: the long-term scarring and inflammation left behind by repeated infections.
In brief
Acute pyelonephritis is a bacterial infection that inflames the kidney and is one of the most common kidney diseases.
It usually arises from an ascending urinary tract infection that travels from the bladder to the kidney, though it can also arrive through the bloodstream; Escherichia coli is the most common cause.
It is a fire that starts on the ground floor and climbs the stairs.
It is classified as complicated or uncomplicated, and chronic pyelonephritis describes the long-term scarring and inflammation caused by repeated infections.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAcute Pyelonephritis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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