A patient has been taking antibiotics for 3 days to treat pyelonephritis. Which of the following findings requires the nurse's immediate attention?
Explanation
• An elevated temperature 72 hours after antibiotic treatment indicates that the medication is ineffective. The physician should be notified so the antibiotic can be changed.
• The other three options are common symptoms of pyelonephritis (the inflammation of the kidney tissue, calyces, and pelvis that is commonly caused by bacterial infection).