A kidney infection is a serious type of urinary tract infection (UTI) where bacteria have traveled up from the bladder to infect one or both kidneys. This condition requires prompt medical attention due to the risk of complications, including permanent kidney damage or the spread of infection to the bloodstream. Urgent care facilities are typically equipped to diagnose and treat uncomplicated kidney infections in patients who are otherwise stable. The decision to treat in an outpatient setting depends heavily on the severity of symptoms and the patient’s overall health status.
Recognizing Kidney Infection Symptoms
A kidney infection presents with symptoms that are generally more severe and systemic than a simple bladder infection. Patients often experience a high fever, typically above 100.4°F (38°C), accompanied by shaking chills. A characteristic symptom is pain in the flank, the area on the side of the back between the ribs and the hip, often associated with tenderness when the area is lightly tapped, known as costovertebral angle tenderness. These upper urinary tract symptoms are usually present alongside the typical signs of a lower UTI, such as pain or burning during urination (dysuria), frequent urges to urinate, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Nausea and vomiting are also common with pyelonephritis, which can complicate treatment by making it difficult to keep down oral medications and fluids.
Diagnostics Performed at Urgent Care
To confirm a kidney infection, urgent care providers rely on a physical examination and laboratory testing of a urine sample. The first diagnostic tool is a urinalysis, which quickly checks for signs of infection, such as the presence of white blood cells (pyuria), red blood cells (hematuria), and bacteria. A urine culture is also collected to identify the specific type of bacteria causing the infection, most often Escherichia coli, and to determine its sensitivity to various antibiotics. While the culture results take one to three days to return, treatment is generally started immediately based on the clinical suspicion and urinalysis results. In some cases, blood tests may be performed to check the patient’s kidney function or to look for elevated white blood cell counts, which further indicate a significant systemic infection.
Urgent Care Treatment Approach
For patients diagnosed with an uncomplicated kidney infection who are stable and can tolerate oral intake, outpatient treatment at an urgent care facility is appropriate. Treatment focuses on eradicating the bacterial infection with antibiotics and managing symptoms. The initial prescription is typically a broad-spectrum oral antibiotic chosen based on local resistance patterns, often a fluoroquinolone or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. A full course of antibiotics must be completed, which can range from five to fourteen days.
Pain and fever management are addressed using medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Maintaining adequate hydration is also important to help flush the bacteria from the urinary system. Patients are advised to seek re-evaluation immediately if their symptoms worsen or if there is no noticeable improvement within 24 to 48 hours of starting the medication.
When Immediate Emergency Care is Necessary
Certain signs and patient conditions indicate that a kidney infection is complicated or severe, requiring immediate transfer to an Emergency Room (ER) for hospital-level care. The most serious warning signs are those related to sepsis, including confusion, low blood pressure, or a rapid heart rate. Patients who cannot keep down fluids or oral medications due to uncontrollable vomiting are also considered high-risk, as they require intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics to treat the infection effectively. Underlying health conditions also complicate pyelonephritis and necessitate hospital admission, such as pregnancy, poorly controlled diabetes, or known structural kidney abnormalities. In the ER, patients can receive IV antibiotics and hydration, which deliver medication directly into the bloodstream for faster absorption, and advanced diagnostic imaging, like a CT scan, if the infection is not responding to initial treatment.