Kidney Infection Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Pain in the abdomen, lower back, side, or groin
• Frequent urination
• Urgent urination that produces only a small amount of urine
• Sensation of a full bladder even after urination
• Burning pain with urination
• Fever and chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pus and blood in the urine
• Loss of appetite

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. A kidney infection is diagnosed with urine tests . The urine is examined for:

• Bacteria
• White blood cells
• Blood
• Other abnormal elements

If the infection does not go away after treatment or if you have had several kidney infections, you may need to have other tests to see if there are problems with the kidney, ureters, and bladder. These tests include:

• Kidney ultrasound —a test that uses sound waves to examine the kidney
• Abdominal CT scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of structures inside the body
• Voiding cystourethrography— x-ray of the urinary bladder and urethra made after injection with a contrast medium