Pyelonephritis in children. Symptoms and Treatment

Pyelonephritis in children - inflammatory diseases that occur very often and are one of the most common infectious diseases in children after respiratory diseases.

The term "pyelonephritis" is the fusion of the words pyelos, which means "trough", and the nephros - kidney. Therefore, the name reflects the essence - an inflammatory process that affects the renal pelvis and kidney tissues. In infants, it is difficult to establish exactly where the lesion is located, which is why it is more often said of the "urinary tract infection".

Pyelonephritis in children, types of disease

The disease is provoked by intestinal microorganisms, such as cocci and colibacilli (staphylococcus, streptococcus, intestinal escherichia, enterococcus, proteus and others). The most common is a mixed microflora. Infection of the urinary tract causes pyelonephritis. The causes in children and adults of the appearance of this disease are a disturbed outflow of urine, its reverse casting (reflux).

Pyelonephritis in children can be primary and secondary. Primary develop with normal structure of urological organs. Secondary are observed in children with congenital pathology of the bladder, ureters and kidneys. The lesion can be one- and two-sided. The disease is acute, chronic or recurrent.

Acute pyelonephritis with adequate treatment is completed by recovery in less than 2 months. In chronic course of the disease, symptoms persist for up to six months and there are periodic exacerbations of the disease.

Pyelonephritis in children, symptoms

Common symptoms include fever (up to 39 degrees), weakness, lack of appetite, nausea. The fever is accompanied by sweating and chills. There is a pain in the lumbar region. Often the disease is accompanied by cystitis or urethritis. In some cases, pyelonephritis in children is asymptomatic. Parents should pay attention to the child's rapid fatigue, mood swings, pallor, frequent visits to the toilet at night.

How to treat pyelonephritis in children?

In the acute period of the disease, various drugs are used (sulfonamide, antibiotics, nitrofuran, nitroxoline), which are prescribed by the attending physician.
In a chronic disease, antibiotic treatment is carried out by courses, under the control of the general condition of the patient and his analyzes. If the cause of pyelonephritis is anomalies of the anatomical structure, the doctor decides whether to perform a surgical procedure.

It is quite effective to use phytotherapy, homeopathic remedies and immunomodulating medications at the second stage. After suffering pyelonephritis, it is recommended to be systematically observed by a specialist doctor. In this case, ultrasound is performed - every six months or a year, as well as regular delivery of tests.

It must be remembered that pyelonephritis in children often occurs in the presence of a chronic foci of infection. It can be inflammation of the internal organs, and influenza, and even ordinary caries. In this case, pathogenic bacteria are introduced through the blood from the lesion into the kidneys and cause inflammation in them.