The diagnosis and management of a patient with acute pyelonephritis
Abstract
Lower urinary tract infections account for more than 224 000 hospital admissions each year and nearly all of these have the pathophysiological possibility to develop into pyelonephritis, known clinically as an upper urinary tract infection. Acute pyelonephritis is characterised by inflammation of the renal parenchyma caused by bacteriuria ascending from the bladder, up the ureters to the kidneys. Effective history taking, combined with refined physical examination skills, are the two most powerful tools to differentiate upper and lower urinary tract infections as well as assisting the practitioner to exclude other differential diagnoses. Utilisation of these skills by the practitioner, together with the recognised presenting symptom triad of flank pain, fever and nausea in this case study, enabled the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis to be given.Citation
Hudson, C. and Mortimore, G., (2020). 'The diagnosis and management of a patient with acute pyelonephritis'. British Journal of Nursing, 29(3), pp. 144-150.Publisher
Mark Allen GroupJournal
British Journal of NursingDOI
10.12968/bjon.2020.29.3.144Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0966-0461EISSN
2052-2819ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.12968/bjon.2020.29.3.144