Renal emphysema

960 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Been having pyelonephritis this year, hadn't had so much as a UTI since 1983 for pity's sake. Had it four times on the left side, treat with antibiotics, life goes on.

Thanksgiving I got sick while making dinner and had to call in family to finish my dinner. Went to the ER, had labs, KUB and a CT. Told me I had pyelonephritis on the RIGHT side and some stones. Gave me ABT and a strainer and told me to f/u with primary care, blah blah.

Checked in with my doc this week, she sent me to a kidney doc yesterday. He said I had renal emphysema, along with a huge stone. I googled it and it took me to several medical websites and all of them said it was very rare,AND very serious, etc.

My question to you all is this: IS it really very rare? I had never heard of it before. My daughter is an RN and she says she's seen it twice, but she works in a facility where they do a lot of transplants and cutting edge things.

PS They are to call me first of the week and tell me when to go to the hospital for stents and lithotripsy, which may or may not work (the stone is bigger than a dime on the xray), and they gave me a month's worth of antibiotics and Lortab.