Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidney and is most commonly caused by an untreated urinary tract infection, or UTI. Kidney infections are treatable, but they need prompt medical attention to avoid complications.
Kidney Infection Symptoms
Talk to your primary care doctor if you have any of the following kidney infection symptoms:
- Blood in urine (hematuria)
- Chills
- Fever
- Frequent, uncomfortable urination
- Nausea
- Pain in your back, side or groin
- Vomiting
Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have a kidney infection. Your primary care doctor at Rush will help you get to the root of your problem.
Kidney Infection Treatment at Rush
Kidney infections are highly treatable when caught early. At Rush, your care may include one or more of the following:
- Oral antibiotics: You’ll take the medication for a week or two, but your symptoms should clear up within two to three days.
- Hospital care: If you have a severe kidney infection, you might need care at the hospital. Your care will include close monitoring and antibiotics administered through an IV.
- Further examination: If your kidney infection returns, a urologist can help determine and treat the underlying problem causing the infection.
- Surgery: If you have a structural problem in your urinary tract causing your kidney infection, urologists at Rush can perform minimally invasive procedures to repair the problem.
Rush Excellence in Kidney Infection Care
- Highly rated care: Specialists who treat your kidney infections at Rush University Medical Center are part of a urology program that is ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report.
- Specialized team: Your urology experts at Rush specialize in the most advanced diagnostic tests, medications and surgical techniques for treating kidney infections that don't respond to initial treatment or return.
- Minimally invasive surgery expertise: Your kidney infection may be caused by a structural problem in your urinary tract that can be corrected using minimally invasive surgery, which typically has a shorter hospital stay, less pain and faster recovery. Our urologists are some of the country’s leading surgeons and perform minimally invasive procedures at all of our hospitals — Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora and Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park.