Urinary tract infections are usually only limited to the bladder and then cause the typical complaints: frequent urination, small amounts of urine, burning when urinating, pain in the lower abdomen. More rarely, other organs are also involved in the infection, such as the prostate, testes or kidneys.

 

If there is a kidney infection, you may, in addition to the above complaints, also have pain in the kidney area, on one or both sides. Usually this is accompanied by a fever or chills. Before starting antibiotics, a urine sample should always be provided (via the general practitioner or the hospital) to determine which bacteria is causing the infection.

 

Often a kidney infection can be treated by the doctor with antibiotics in pill form.

However, in the case of a serious infection, it may be necessary to receive antibiotics via an IV in the hospital for a few days.

 

Rarely, the infected kidney is 'blocked', for example by a stone, and in addition to antibiotics, surgery may also be required. There are two options:

 

1. JJ stent: This is a drainage tube placed internally between the bladder and kidney to allow urine to drain smoothly. This will be placed under general anesthetic.

 

2. Nephrostomy: This is a drainage tube that is placed directly into the kidney through the back under local     anesthesia to allow the urine to drain.

 

Once the urinary tract infection has been adequately treated, the urologist will check whether the kidneys have healed properly by means of an ultrasound scan of the kidneys at a follow-up appointment. Furthermore, it will also be examined whether there are underlying risk factors that can cause recurring kidney infections.