[Prognostic factors of morbimortality in patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis]

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a severe infection of the urinary tract, caused by gas accumulation within the collecting system, the renal parenchyma, and/or the perirenal tissue. The cause of this infection is not known at all; however, it has been suggested that it is produced by the glucose fermentation provoked by enterobacteriaceae or anaerobic organisms. Our objective was to evaluate the predictors of morbidity and mortality in patients diagnosed with EPN.

It was carried out a historical cohort study of patients diagnosed with EPN in our hospital from March 2005 to December 2014. Patients with adverse outcome were identified. We defined adverse outcome as patients requiring stay in intensive care unit, who presented nephrectomy and/or who died. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to establish the relation of each clinical factor with the adverse outcome.

73 records were included for analysis, 48 were women (65.8 %) and 25 men. Diabetes, urolithiasis, E. coli infection and septic shock occurred in 68.5, 68.5, 63, and 15.1 %, respectively. We found that leukocytosis ≥12 000 µl (OR 43.65, 95 % CI 2.36-805, p <0.001), thrombocytopenia ≤120 000 µl (OR 363, 95 % 9.2-14208, p <0.0001), and Huang's radiological class 3 (OR 62, 95 % CI 4-964, p < 0.001) were factors significantly associated with adverse outcome.

Thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis and Huang's radiological class 3 are associated with adverse outcome in patients with EPN.