When is hospitalization needed for kidney infection

You'll likely start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. If your doctor suspects your infection has spread to your kidneys, you might be referred to a doctor who treats conditions that affect the urinary tract urologist. When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet for certain tests.

Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember the information you're given. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis To confirm that you have a kidney infection, you'll likely be asked to provide a urine sample to test for bacteria, blood or pus in your urine. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Pyelonephritis: Kidney infection. Accessed May 4, Kidney infection. If you have a kidney infection, try not to "hover" over the toilet seat when you go to the loo because it can result in your bladder not being fully emptied.

It's also important for most people with a kidney infection to drink plenty of fluids water is best because this will help to flush out the bacteria from your kidneys. Aim to drink enough so that you're frequently passing pale-coloured urine. Make sure you get plenty of rest. A kidney infection can be physically draining, even if you're normally healthy and strong. It may take up to 2 weeks before you're fit enough to return to work.

The GP may refer you to hospital if you have an underlying problem that makes you vulnerable to kidney infections.

It's standard practice to further investigate all men with a kidney infection because the condition is much rarer in men. Women do not tend to be referred unless they've had 2 or more kidney infections. If you're admitted to hospital with a kidney infection, you'll probably be attached to a drip so you can be given fluids to help keep you hydrated.

Antibiotics can also be given through the drip. You'll have regular blood and urine tests to monitor your health and how effectively the antibiotics are fighting off the infection.

More rarely, you can get a kidney infection if bacteria enters your blood during surgery and gets to your kidneys, the NIDDK says. What does a kidney infection feel like? Children younger than two may only experience high fever as a sign of kidney infections, the NIDDK says , and people older than 65 might only present with cognitive issues, like confusion, hallucinations, and disorganized speech. If you have signs of a kidney infection, you should see a doctor right away.

Again, a kidney infection is serious—it can sometimes lead to a dangerous, life-threatening health condition called sepsis , the NIDDK says. Signs of sepsis include fever, chills, fast breathing, a rapid heart rate, a rash, and confusion, according to the U.

National Library of Medicine. Kaufman recommends heading to your local urgent care facility or emergency room if you have signs of a kidney infection. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, do a physical exam, and likely run some diagnostic tests. Those include a urinalysis, to check your pee under a microscope for bacteria and white blood cells, which your body makes to fight infection , and a urine culture to help find out what kind of bacteria is causing the infection, the NIDDK says.

Your doctor may even take a blood sample to check for bacteria or other organisms in your blood, the Mayo Clinic says. They may also decide it makes the most sense for you to stay at a hospital to rest and recover. This is a lot of stress and pain to go through for something that, depending on your situation, could potentially have been caught earlier. To avoid all of this, whenever you think you have a UTI, see a doctor and get treated before it can progress into a kidney infection.

There are a few things that can up your risk factor of contracting a kidney infection, according to the Mayo Clinic , and some you have zero control over:. Having a vagina. The urethra, that small tube that carries urine out of your body, is shorter in people with vaginas than it is in people with penises. That makes it easier for bacteria to travel from outside your body into the bladder.

Your urethra is also close to your vagina and anus, which opens you up to more chances that bacteria from one of those areas will get into your urinary tract.