kidney and urinary tract disorders
Kidney Infection
Diagnosis of Kidney Infection
Urinalysis Urine culture Sometimes imaging tests The typical symptoms of pyelonephritis lead doctors to do 2 common laboratory tests to determine whether the kidneys are infected (see also Urinalysis and Urine Culture ): Examination of a urine specimen under a microscope to count the number of red and white blood cells and bacteria Urine culture, in which bacteria from a urine sample are grown in a laboratory to identify the numbers and types of bacteria Blood tests may be done to check for elevated white blood cell levels (suggesting infection), bacteria in the blood, or kidney damage. Imaging Tests of the Urinary Tract are done in People who have intense back pain (typical of renal colic) People who do not respond to antibiotic treatment within 72 hours People whose symptoms return shortly after antibiotic treatment is finished People who have long-standing or recurring pyelonephritis People whose blood test results indicate kidney damage Men (because they so rarely develop pyelonephritis) Ultrasonography or helical (spiral) computed tomography (CT) studies done in these situations may reveal Stones in the Urinary Tract structural abnormalities, or other causes of urinary obstruction. 