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Kidney infection 

Introduction 

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Kidneys are vital to our health, yet many of us don't know what they do or where they are

A kidney infection usually occurs when a bacterial infection (typically e-coli bacteria) moves up from the bladder or urethra and into one of the kidneys. The urethra is the tube that runs from the bladder through the penis or vulva. Urine is passed through the urethra.

The medical term for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. Typical symptoms of a kidney infection can include:

  • a high temperature (fever) of 38ºC (100.4ºF) or above,
  • pain in the side of your abdomen,
  • vomiting, and
  • diarrhoea.

The kidneys

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that are located on either side of the body, just underneath the ribcage. The main role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood before converting it into urine.

Usually, only one kidney is affected by an infection.

How common are kidney infections?

Kidney infections are an uncommon type of infection. In England, it is estimated that 28 to 35 people out of every 100,000 will get a kidney infection in any given year.

Kidney infections are more common in:

  • women than in men,
  • pregnant women,
  • children who are under two,
  • people over 60.

Types of kidney infection

There are two main types of kidney infection:

  • Uncomplicated kidney infection: the person is in good health and the infection is unlikely to cause any serious complications.
  • Complicated kidney infection: the person affected is more vulnerable to the effects of infections. This could be due to a pre-existing health condition.

Outlook

In cases of uncomplicated kidney infection, treatment with antibiotics quickly relieves symptoms, and most people will fully recover within two weeks.

In cases of complicated kidney infection, treatment usually requires injections of antibiotics (intravenous antibiotics), and the person may be admitted to hospital as a precaution.

There is a small risk of serious complications developing in complicated kidney infection, such as blood poisoning (sepsis) or a kidney abscess, which can occasionally be life threatening.

There is also the risk that the kidney could become damaged as a result of the infection and, in the most serious cases, the damage could cause the kidney to stop working altogether (kidney failure).

Despite the risk of complications, deaths from kidney infections are now very rare. This is mainly due to the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s.

  • show glossary terms
Kidneys
Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdomen. They remove waste and extra fluid from the blood, and pass them out of the body as urine.
Bladder
The bladder is a small organ near the pelvis that holds urine until it is ready to be passed from the body.
Bacteria
Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the body. Some can cause illness and disease, and some are good for you.

Last reviewed: 27/02/2009

Next review due: 27/02/2011

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suze_87 said on 20 December 2010

in october i had a UTI symptoms such as burning pain when going to the loo and i went to the doctors have a urinaylsis done and comfirmed a UIT. I was given 4 days worth of antibiotics which wasnt doing anything. By the 5th day i woke up in the night with colic pain in my right back. it felt like my kidney squeezing and cramping up so painful and i couldnt walk. in the morning i went back to the doctors who said i may have a kidney stone and gave me some pain killers. over the weekend the pain got worse and i was being sick even when only drinking water i was sick. so i went to the doctors then A&E for an IVU and there were no stones. the SHO said i have either passed them and they also gave me a kidney infection. after being on more antibiotics the GP requested a urine sample which i sent off and came back that the infection was resistant to the original antibiotics. so i was prescribed Augmentin and 6 weeks or more later i still have blood in my urine and sometimes my right back aches but not as bad as before and i also feel that my bladder has weaken due to the infection. It was a horrible experience

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suzielindsay09 said on 29 August 2010

Since having kidney stones when I was a child I have faced infections all through life but now I seem to have a sore bladder if pressed in or when laughing to hard. I know when I have an infection as I get a pain in my lower back which I have also been getting. Should I be worries about the sore bladder and take further action..?

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beckys said on 26 January 2010

I am still waiting for my last lot of lipotripsy, I spent 2 weeks in hospital nearly four years ago when one was stuck in my bladder tube and also had stents put in, I had three stones and even now I am still getting infections and waiting for my final lot of treatment but since having them I seem to get run down more easily and the first thing that happens is my kidney starts to ache, I am hoping after this last session that I will feel better!

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amos9000 said on 23 January 2010

the kidneys create a hormone that tells your bones to make red blood cells, if they have been infected then it may not have done this and you might have become a bit anemic which might be why you are feeling week. as for the thickened arms and legs im not certian it could be that your kidneys are having trouble getting rid of excess fluid causing it to build up.
I had a kidney infection years ago and thought i was fine so i left it. untill about 2 months ago i felt completly fine then started getting tired and week with swelling in my legs and was found to have end stage kidney failure. So i would get it checked out just to be sure theres nothing goin on,.

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PAULA L said on 21 January 2010

i was found to have kidney stones last april, after many months of continually complaining to my doctor. i was at last sent for a ct scan where it was found i had 3 largish ones in my left and a huge one stuck in my ureter. it had been there for some time and had caused blockage and infection of the kidney. after stents being placed in both and lithotripsy on the smaller ones , spending a few days in hospital on 3 occasions with intravenous anti-biotics, various x-rays and blood tests , we at last think the worst is over. my question is , why do i still feel so unwell. i'm always tired and i'm so weak i still cant carry on in my usual capacity. i also have thickened arms and legs , not puffy or swollen but larger than usual and slightly numb; ,and the pain !!!!!!!! has anyone else had these problems as nothing has been properly explained to me ?

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