Severe renal failure in acute bacterial pyelonephritis : do not forget corticosteroids

• Published in: Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 118 - 122
• Main Authors: Hamzawi, Hakim, Fakhuri, Fadi, Saqli, Tariq Husayni, Noel, Laure-Helene, Guiard, Elsa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation 2010; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute Kidney Injury - drug therapy; Acute Kidney Injury - microbiology; Acute Kidney Injury - pathology; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Care and treatment; Case studies; Chronic renal failure; Complications and side effects; Corticosteroids; Diagnosis; Drug therapy; Drug Therapy, Combination; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Kidney failure; Male; Middle Aged; Patient outcomes; Proteus mirabilis - isolation & purification; Pyelonephritis; Pyelonephritis - complications; Pyelonephritis - drug therapy; Pyelonephritis - microbiology; Pyelonephritis - pathology; Risk factors; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome; الأمراض; الأمراض المزمنة; الالتهاب; الفشل الكلوي; الكلى; المسالك البولية; المضاعفات; هرمونات قشرة الغدة الكظرية; Saudi Arabia
• ISSN: 1319-2442; 2320-3838

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a rare complication of acute pyelonephritis in adult immunocompetent patients. Recovery of renal function usually occurs if antibiotics are promptly initiated. However, long-term consequences of renal scarring due to acute pyelonephritis are probably underestimated, and some patients present with prolonged renal failure despite adequate antibiotic therapy. We report two cases of severe ARF complicating bacterial pyelonephritis successfully treated with corticosteroids in association with conventional antibiotics.