Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be classified as lower urinary tract infection and upper urinary tract infection. Lower UTI involves bladder/prostate and urethra. Upper UTI involves parts of kidney also known as pyelonephritis. Recurrent pyelonephritis invariably leads to some form of kidney damage and may culminate in varying degrees of kidney failure. Individuals susceptible to pyelonephritis include diabetics, elderly and those with kidney stones. Lower UTI generally doesn't result in kidney failure. Recurrent lower UTI especially in case of reflux
disease (due to back-leak of urine) and enlarged prostate can result in pyelonephritits and thus result in kidney failure.
Other than UTI, some of the most common causes of kidney failure include diabetes, hypertension, dehydration, blood borne infections or sepsis, variety of medications, certain herbal medications and immunological diseases like lupus.