Question: What is a kidney infection?
Answer: A kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI). Most kidney infections are caused by bacteria or viruses that first infect your lower urinary tract, usually your bladder. Then, the infection moves up your ureters to one or both of your kidneys. The kidneys are part of the upper urinary tract. Kidney infections can be very painful and cause serious health problems.

If you have symptoms of a bladder infection, see a health care professional. You may need treatment to prevent the infection from spreading to your kidneys.
Question: Does kidney infection have another name?
Answer: A kidney infection is also called pyelonephritis.
Question: How common are kidney infections?
Answer: Kidney infections lead to about 250,000 office visits and 200,000 hospital admissions in the United States each year.1
Question: Who is more likely to develop a kidney infection?
Answer: You are more likely to develop a kidney infection if you

are female
have a current or recent bladder infection
are pregnant
have a urinary tract blockage, such as akidney stoneorenlarged prostate
have a urinary tract problem such asvesicoureteral reflux, which is more common in children
havediabetesor problems with yourimmune system
have a spinal cord injury or nerve damage around the bladder
have trouble emptying your bladder completely, calledurinary retention
Question: What are the complications of kidney infections?
Answer: When diagnosed early and treated properly, most kidney infections don’t lead to complications. In rare cases, kidney infections may cause

high blood pressure
kidney failure
kidney scarring, which can lead tochronic kidney disease
sepsis

Your chance of a complication is slightly greater if you

are male
are older or frail due to weakened strength or other problems of aging
are pregnant
have a problem with the structure of your urinary tract
have had repeat kidney infections
have certain health conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, orsickle cell disease
have a weakened immune system or have had anorgan transplant