Etymed
pyelonephritis
Definition
inflammation of the renal pelvis and kidney tissue, typically caused by bacterial infection
Clinical context
A 28-year-old woman presents with fever, chills, and left flank pain that started 2 days ago. She reports dysuria and frequency. On examination, there is costovertebral angle tenderness. Urinalysis shows white blood cells and nitrites. Blood cultures are positive for E. coli. She is diagnosed with pyelonephritis requiring antibiotic treatment.
Mnemonic
PYE-lone-phritis = PYE (pyelonephritis) = P (pain) + Y (young) + E (fever) + l (leukocytosis) + o (oliguria) + n (nausea) + e (emesis) + p (pyuria)