You have been told you have a kidney infection. This is called pyelonephritis. The infection can be serious. It can damage your kidneys and cause bacteria to enter your bloodstream. You were treated in the hospital. Once you return home, here's what you can do at home to aid in your recovery and prevent future infections.
Home care
- Take all the medicine you were prescribed, even if you feel better. Not finishing the medicine can make the infection come back. It may also make a future infection harder to treat.
- Unless you are told not to by your doctor, drink 8 to 12 glasses of fluid every day. Clear fluids, such as water, are best. This may help flush the infection from your system.
Preventing future infection
- Keep your genital area clean. Use mild soap. Rinse with water.
- If you are a female, always wipe the genital area from front to back.
- Urinate frequently. Don't hold urine in your bladder for a long time.
- Always urinate after having sex.
- Practice safe sex. Protect yourself and your partner from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Follow-up care
Follow up with your doctor as advised. And see your doctor for regular lab tests as directed.
When to contact your doctor
Contact your doctor right away if you have any of the following:
- Decreased urine output or trouble urinating
- Severe pain in the lower back or flank
- Fever of
100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, or as directed by your doctor - Shaking chills
- Vomiting
- Blood in your urine
- Dark-colored or foul-smelling urine
- Nausea or other problems that prevent you from taking your prescribed medicine
- New or worsening symptoms
Related Articles
Discharge Instructions: Caring for Your Suprapubic Catheter
You are going home with a suprapubic catheter in place. Follow these steps to care for your catheter at home.
Lithotripsy
Lithotripsy is a procedure used to treat kidney stones that are too large to pass through the urinary tract. It works by sending focused ultrasound energy or shock waves directly to the stone. The shock waves break a large stone into smaller stones that will pass through the urinary system.
Discharge Instructions for Kidney Biopsy
Your doctor used a special needle to remove a small piece of tissue from your kidney to examine it for signs of damage and disease. A kidney biopsy is ordered after other tests have shown that there may be a problem with your kidney. Kidney biopsies are also performed when kidney disease is suspected and to rule out cancer.
Treating Kidney Stones: Expectant Therapy
Most kidney stones are about the size of a grape seed. Stones of this size are small enough to pass naturally. Once it is passed, a stone can be analyzed. This wait-and-see approach is called expectant therapy.
