Urinary tract infection which includes cystitis, nephropyelitis, cyst
infection and perinephric abscess is a common complication of PKD patients.
About 20% patients get urinary tract infection as first symptom among clinical
symptoms, and 50% t0 70% patients have urinary tract infection at least one time
during their life, especially for female patients. It has been observed in the
past that one third PKD patients who accept chronic dialysis have the symptom of
urinary tract infection. Though antibiotic is taken to deal with infection,
which can delay illness development, patients still can get perinephric abscess,
or even sometimes patients may die. There are some difficulties in treat
Polycystic Kidney Disease, especially in the aspects of preventing and treating
urinary tract infection.
Patients who suffer from PKD, complicated with cystitis, are mainly expressed
by urgent urination, Odynuria and pain on pubis arch area. If infection has
involved upper urinary tract, patients may have continuous high fever and waist
pain. Clinically, it is some difficult to distinguish nephropyelitis from cyst
infection. It is beneficial to diagnose nephropyelitis if urine culture shows
positive with increasing blood leukocyte number and quick response to
anti-infection treatment. While positive blood culture and pressing pain always
refers to cyst infection.
When patients suspect themselves of urinary tract infection, they should
accept an imaging examination. Abdominal plain film can show the position, size
and numbers of urinary system stones as well as perinephric abscess. CT
examination has a better sensitivity of testing perinephric abscess. As for PKD
patients suffering from urinary tract infection, equipment inspection can
increase the possibility of patients getting blood poisoning. For this reason,
Retrograde Pyelography should be avoided.
Choosing effective antibiotics is the key of treating this disease
successfully. As for patients who suffer from recurrent urinary tract infection,
antibiotics are helpful to prevent infection. If equipment inspection on urinary
tract is inevitable, patients should take proper antibiotic to prevent infection
in 24 hours before or after treatment.
