Definition

1. Noun:
   • A severe kidney infection: "acute pyelonephritis" is a specific medical condition. It is a serious and sudden inflammation of the kidneys, specifically affecting the renal pelvis and the kidney tissue itself. This condition typically results from a bacterial infection that has spread upward from the urinary bladder.

Usage

• The term "acute pyelonephritis" is used exclusively in medical and clinical contexts to diagnose and describe a specific, severe type of kidney infection. It is not used in everyday conversation.
• It functions as a compound noun where "acute" specifies the sudden and severe nature, and "pyelonephritis" names the disease. The term is typically used as a singular, non-countable noun when referring to the condition in general, but can be countable when referring to specific cases (e.g., ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis.
  • Symptoms of acute pyelonephritis often include fever, flank pain, and nausea.
  • Antibiotics are the primary treatment for acute pyelonephritis.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Diagnosis: The term is used in medical reports, differential diagnoses, and treatment plans.
  • The CT scan findings were consistent with acute pyelonephritis.
• Etiological Description: Often described by its cause, reinforcing the definition.
  • The acute pyelonephritis was a complication of an untreated cystitis.

Variants and Related Words

• Pyelonephritis (n): The broader term for kidney inflammation, which can be or .
• Cystitis (n): Bladder infection, which is a common precursor to acute pyelonephritis.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (n): The general category of infections that includes cystitis and pyelonephritis.

Synonyms

• Acute kidney infection: A more general, descriptive synonym.
• Upper urinary tract infection: A clinical term distinguishing it from a lower UTI (like cystitis).

Related Phrases

• Complicated UTI: A medical phrase that often encompasses conditions like acute pyelonephritis, indicating an infection that has spread beyond the bladder or involves other risk factors.
• Ascending infection: A phrase describing the pathological process where bacteria travel from the bladder to the kidneys, causing pyelonephritis.

Noun

1. pyelonephritis resulting from the spread of a bladder infection