How Are Kidney Infections Treated
A physician will treat the disease based on his or her examination. He or she may start the patient on the standard treatment of a course of antibiotics before the lab tests results are available. The medication may change once the exact strain of bacteria is revealed by the lab tests.
If the treatment is effective, the patient should feel better in two to three days. If not, your healthcare provider will start looking for additional problems. Most antibiotic treatments last for 14 days and it is essential that patients take the pills as recommended for the full 14 days even though symptoms may disappear after a few days. The disappearance of symptoms does not mean all bacteria are killed. Some may remain and the infection may reappear.
There is also a concern that those bacteria that remain may develop resistance to the medication. For some reason the disease is more difficult to treat in men and they may have to take medication for up to six weeks. Patients with severe illness, those that have significant nausea and vomiting, high fevers, significant pain and signs of dehydration may be hospitalized for a few days while the antibiotics are administered intravenously. Urine samples are taken after about six weeks of treatment and examined to insure the bacterial infection is eradicated.
Interpreting Home Test Results
These tests work similarly to a pregnancy test, using a test strip that a person wets with fresh urine.
After 12 minutes, the test strip will change color, indicating whether a UTI is present. A person must match the color of the test strip pads to the color blocks on the foil pouch in the test kit.
Most strips test for leukocytes and nitrites. Some also check pH levels.
Leukocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight off infection. Healthy urine contains chemicals called nitrates that can turn into nitrites if an infection is present. Therefore, the presence of leukocytes or nitrites in the urine is often a sign of a UTI.
Lastly, some home strips test pH levels. Healthy urine is slightly acidic, with a pH value in the range of . A pH level of 8.5 or 9 can indicate the presence of an infection and, therefore, a UTI.
If a home test is positive for any of these indicators, an individual likely has a UTI.
What Do The Results Mean
If there are nitrites in your urine, it may mean that you have a UTI. But, even if no nitrites are found, you may still have an infection. That’s because some types of bacteria don’t change nitrates into nitrites.
Your provider will also look at other results of your urinalysis, especially tests that look for signs of white blood cells in your urine. White blood cells in urine may also mean you have a UTI. To learn what your results mean, talk with your provider.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
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When Will I Begin To Feel Better
Once you start treatment, you should start to feel better in a few days.
Can I have sex while being treated for a kidney infection?After you have started treatment and your symptoms have gone away, it is usually safe to have sex. Remember to urinate after sex to avoid getting more bacteria in your urinary tract.
Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing For Uti
Polymerase chain reaction is one of the more common DNA-based testing methods utilized for UTI. PCR is a very sensitive and specific method used to detect organisms by creating millions of copies of DNA sequences present in a urine sample. The process enables the identification of organisms, but only those selected to be tested for.
The selected organisms form what is called a panel, and for UTI testing this panel can include anything from just a few organisms up to dozens. Because of the limits to how many organisms a panel can contain, there is a risk that the organism or organisms causing a patients symptoms will not be included on the panel and therefore not detected.
To help address this possibility, PCR panels for UTI testing typically contain a list of organisms that are most commonly associated with UTI symptoms.
Weve covered one example of PCR testing combined with pooled antibiotic susceptibility testing, if youd like to learn more about this method.
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What Is Kidney Infection
Infection in the urinary tract can involve the lower tract especially the bladder , prostate or the upper tract and kidney . It is usually a bacterial infection. The disease occurs in roughly three to seven of every 10,000 people in the United States. The occurrence in pregnant women is about 2 percent. It is readily treatable if diagnosed early.
A bacteria called Escherichia Coli causes about 90 percent of kidney infections. The bacteria migrate from the genitals through the urethra into the bladder and up the tubes that connect the bladder to the kidneys.
Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus infections, can enter the kidneys from the bloodstream.
Can A Uti Test Strip Detect A Kidney Infection
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The Uti Test Was Never Meant To Be Used For Everyday Utis
In the 1950s a scientist named Kass conducted two small studies on two groups of females with acute kidney infections. One group of participants were pregnant females, the other non-pregnant females.
Kass discovered that a certain concentration of bacteria in a cultured urine sample was enough to indicate a kidney infection with 80% accuracy.
Kass suggested that a kidney infection was present when a certain amount of bacteria was found in the urine. This is called the Kass threshold, and you may have seen reference to it on your UTI test results.
| The Kass threshold means a concentration of 100,000 colony forming units of bacteria per milliliter of cultured urine must be present to indicate an infection. It is a very specific threshold without much room for interpretation. |
The key point here is that the Kass test was already only 80% accurate for acute kidney infections. It was never validated for use in lower urinary tract infections, like bladder or urethral infections.
Yet, this test was embraced by the medical community and has been the global standard UTI test for more than 60 years.
The Kass threshold has since been found to be far too high to detect many lower urinary tract infections. That is, much lower counts of bacteria in the urine can indicate a UTI.
Because modern urine culture tests are based on the Kass test, any bacteria count that is below the Kass threshold will not be considered an infection, and antibiotic susceptibility testing will not be done.
How Do You Know When A Uti Becomes A Kidney Infection
When you do not see a doctor, a urinary tract infection can swiftly turn into a kidney infection, which can be very serious to your long-term health.
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common types of infection, second only to respiratory infections. They account for over 8.3 million visits to hospitals and health care providers each year. An untreated UTI may lead to a kidney infection, this is a potentially life-threatening condition.
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How It Is Done
A routine urine test can be done in your doctor’s office, clinic, or lab. You may also be asked to collect a urine sample at home and bring it with you to the office or lab for testing.
Collecting a urine sample from a small child or baby is done by using a special plastic bag with tape around its opening. The bag is placed around the child’s genitals until he or she urinates. Then you carefully remove the bag. To collect a urine sample from a very sick baby, a doctor may use a urinary catheter through the urethra or a needle through the baby’s belly directly into the bladder .
Blood Tests To Diagnose Kidney Infection
The kidney is one of the vital organs in the human body. It filters waste products of the blood into urine and excretes from the body. Any dysfunction of the kidneys can result in the accumulation of waste products in blood along with excess fluid. Infection is a major cause which can cause acute kidney injury and sometimes can proceed into chronic renal failure.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications which occur due to a chronic kidney infection. Children are more susceptible to develop complications due to kidney infection. This is because post infection induced kidney injury scarring can occur in the developing kidney of the child. In order to minimize the bad outcomes, the clinicians practice many diagnostic blood tests for a kidney infection.
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Can Kidney Infections Be Prevented
Kidney infections can be prevented by keeping bacteria out of the urinary tract and bladder. Infections in the kidney often start as a lower tract infection in the bladder. By preventing these infections, you may be able to prevent kidney infections.
There are several ways to avoid infection and keep your kidneys healthy. These tips can include:
- Hydration: It is important to drink adequate fluid every day but there is no specific recommendation that applies to every patient.. The amount can change if you have certain medical conditions or live in a particularly hot climate. Talk to your healthcare provider about the recommended amount of water you need each day.
- Urinate completely: When you need to urinate, empty your bladder completely. Holding in your urine can be harmful and can promote the growth of bacteria. Urinating every several hours can help to flush any bacteria out of your body, protecting it from an infection.
- Urinate after having sex: Urinating after sex helps to remove any bacteria that may have gotten into the body. Men and women should both do this to prevent infections.
- Practice good hygiene: Keeping yourself clean can help protect your body from infections. After a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to push bacteria away from the urethra . This is especially important for women.
How Do You Test For A Urinary Tract Infection
Diagnosis of a urinary tract infection usually includes evaluating your symptoms and testing your urine.
- The most common UTI test is a urinalysis. This is a urine sample that is checked for abnormalities.
- A urinalysis can be done in your doctors office. It checks your urine sample for bacteria that cause UTIs and white blood cells caused by the infection.
- While it should not be used for diagnosis, a different type of urinalysis can be done at home with an over-the-counter test kit. It can help you identify possible signs of infection to share with your doctor.
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How Can I Make Sure My Kidney Infection Is Completely Gone
If you recently had a kidney infection, the health care professional will often repeat urine cultures after your treatment ends to make sure your infection has completely gone away and has not come back. If a repeat test shows infection, you may take another round of antibiotics. If your infection comes back again, he or she may prescribe antibiotics for a longer time period.
If your health care professional prescribes antibiotics, take all of the antibiotics as prescribed and follow the advice of the health care professional. Even if you start to feel better, you should finish all of your medicine.
Infections Can Also Be Caused By:
- Kidney stones, enlarged prostates, and other conditions that obstruct the urinary tract, preventing proper emptying of urine from the body
- Spinal cord injury and other conditions that prevent you from properly emptying your bladder
- Menopause or medications that alter the hormones in your body, thus changing the bacterial environment in your urinary tract system
- Any condition that suppresses the immune system
- Certain sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma
In rare cases, a virus or fungus can cause UTIs.
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What Are The Causes Of Kidney Infections
Normally, bacteria are flushed out by the flow of urine. However, several problems can increase the risk of a kidney infection. These problems can include:
- Structural abnormalities blocking urine flow.
- An enlarged prostate gland compressing the urethra.
- Backflow of urine from the bladder to the kidneys.
- If your immune system is affected .
- Pregnancy, during which time the enlarging uterus can squeeze the ureters and reduce the flow of urine, allowing the bacteria to migrate to the kidneys.
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
Kidney Infection Home Remedies
You can do some things at home to feel better while you have an infection:
- Drink plenty of fluids to flush out germs.
- Get extra rest.
- When you go to the bathroom, sit on the toilet instead of squatting over it, which can keep your bladder from completely emptying.
- Take a pain reliever with acetaminophen. Donât use aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen because these can raise your risk of kidney problems.
- Use a heating pad on your belly, back, or side.
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How Do You Know If Something Is Wrong With Your Kidneys
If you would simply like to check in on your kidney function, one of the most reliable ways to find out more is through a test this can be done with your local doctor or from home with LetsGetCheckeds at-home lab test.
Constant fatigue, difficulty sleeping and poor appetite, as well as the signs mentioned above, can also be indicators that your kidney isnt functioning how it should. If you are concerned about your kidney health, its important to reach out to your doctor or a medical professional to find out more.
The best way to check your kidney function from home is with a home test kit. The process is simple:
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What Is The Long
Urinary tract infections are uncomfortable and painful. Most chronic UTIs will resolve with a prolonged course of antibiotics, but monitoring for further symptoms is important since the chronic UTIs usually recur. People with UTIs should monitor their bodies and seek immediate treatment with the onset of a new infection. Early treatment of infection decreases your risk for more serious, long-term complications.
If youre susceptible to recurring UTIs, make sure to:
- urinate as often as needed
- wipe front to back after urinating
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What Is The Most Reliable Way To Diagnose Chronic Uti
Relying on inaccurate tests sees many thousands of UTI sufferers misdiagnosed or even dismissed as problem patients.
Unhelpfully guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence the body that produces treatment guidelines for England and Wales insist that a positive dipstick and MSU are needed to diagnose a urinary tract infection in patients who have not got better after initial antibiotics.
The most useful thing that doctors can do is to listen to their patients and ask them detailed questions about their symptoms and how they started.
New research suggests that microscopy analysing fresh urine under a microscope using a haemocytometer combined with listening to a patients story is the best way to diagnose UTI.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Urinary Tract Infection
Diagnosis for a urinary infection is usually done in the GP surgery or a walk-in clinic. After you explain your symptoms,a mid-stream urine sample is taken and a dipstick test is carried out to check for:
- White blood cells Also known as leucocytes, the presence of white blood cells This indicates that there is inflammation or infection in the urinary tract or kidneys and the body is excreting more white blood cells to destroy any possible bacterial infection.
- Red blood cells The bladder can bleed due to severe inflammation and the constant urination caused by a UTI. Some people can feel a razor blade sensation when urinating during a UTI attack.
- Protein The presence of protein can indicate a possible kidney infection as only trace amounts normally filter through thekidneys.
- Nitrates Gram-negative bacteria like e-coli, which can cause a UTI, make an enzyme that changes waste urinary nitrates tonitrites.
Any sign of these in the urine indicates bladder inflammation and a probable infection as the bodys immune system is reacting to the infection, but could also indicate other conditions.
Depending on the dipstick analysis, the GP may send the sample to a laboratory where they culture the urine for bacterial growth. The GP will discuss your symptoms with you, taking into account other current or previous health issues and any family disease history.
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