Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection) in Adults

Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection, usually from bacteria that spread from the bladder.

Possible causes of infection include the following:

Use of a catheter to drain urine from the bladder Use of a cystoscope to examine the bladder and urethra Surgery on the urinary tract Conditions such as prostate enlargement and kidney stones that prevent the efficient flow of urine from the bladder.

Symptoms and signs include back, side, and groin pain; urgent, frequent urination; pain or burning during urination; fever; nausea and vomiting; and pus and blood in the urine.

Diagnosis is made with a urine test to identify bacteria and formations of white blood cells, called casts, shaped like tubes in the kidneys. If an infection cannot be easily cured, x-rays might be done to look for abnormalities in the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. A kidney infection is treated with an appropriate antibiotic, and abnormalities may need to be surgically treated.

An untreated or recurrent kidney infection can lead to chronic pyelonephritis, scarring of the kidneys, and permanent kidney damage.

More information is available from

American Foundation for Urologic Disease
1128 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD
Tel: (800) 242-2383

Additional Information on Pyelonephritis

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse collects resource information on kidney and urologic diseases for the Combined Health Information Database (CHID). CHID is a database produced by health-related agencies of the Federal Government. This database provides titles, abstracts, and availability information for health information and health education resources.

To provide you with the most up-to-date resources, information specialists at the clearinghouse created an automatic search of CHID. To obtain this information you may view the results of the automatic search on Pyelonephritis.

Or, if you wish to perform your own search of the database, you may access the CHID Online web site and search CHID yourself.

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse 3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3580
E-mail: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NKUDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.

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NIH Publication No. 99-4628