According to MedlinePlus of the National Institutes of Health, a urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that can happen anywhere along the urinary tract, which includes the ureters, the bladder, urethras, and kidneys. Most commonly, a proteus UTI infection occurs in the bladder or the kidneys. A proteus UTI occurs as the bacteria enters the urethra and then spreads to the bladder, and in worse cases, to the kidneys. Women are at a high risk of a proteus UTI because the urethra is shorter and more difficult to keep sanitary in comparison to men's. A patient with a proteus UTI infection should be aware of the associated symptoms and seek the appropriate treatment.
Fever
According to MedlinePlus, fever with a temperature above a 101 degrees F is a common symptom associated with a proteus UTI infection. Typically, a low-grade fever occurs if the proteus infection is in the bladder and a higher-grade fever occurs if the infection is in the kidneys. A fever occurs because the body mounts an immune response, which causes it to release chemical signals that fight the proteus bacteria but can also cause a fever. In this case, a patient should seek immediate medical treatment so the proteus infection can be treated. If left untreated, a patient may experience complications from a fever. Furthermore, he should avoid taking Tylenol until seen by the doctor.
Flank Pain
According to MedlinePlus, a patient with a proteus UTI infection may experience flank pain, which is pain in the side of the back that may radiate to the middle of the back or into the groin. This commonly occurs if the proteus UTI infection has spread to the kidneys, which may cause a severe flank pain. In this case, a patient should seek immediate medical treatment, because flank pain may be from the proteus bacteria aggravating sensory nerves in the kidneys or may be from kidney stones that may have formed from a proteus bacterial kidney infection. Antibiotics and pain medications are generally prescribed to relieve flank pain.
Urine Changes
A patient with a proteus UTI infection may experience urine that is cloudy, bloody, light pink, or cola colored, which is a sign of blood in the urine, states MayoClinic.com. This occurs because the proteus bacteria can damage the lining of the bladder or the kidneys, which results in bloody or pink-colored urine. Furthermore, cloudy urine occurs because the bacteria are likely reproducing, which may cause a cloudy appearance in the urine. A patient who is experiencing urine changes from a possible proteus infection should seek immediate medical treatment so that appropriate antibiotics can be started to treat the infection and prevent further urinary tract complications.
