Educational resource · Not a medical device · Infectious diseases review in progress · Does not replace clinical judgement

Diagram — Ascending urinary tract infection — SeptiMap

follow an E. coli from gut to kidney, name its adhesins, and understand the role of the catheter. Educational resource, not a medical device.

Diagrams: mechanisms and principles

17 sourced diagrams · for medical students and practice

Each diagram reads step by step: an objective, the steps, three key points, a classic pitfall, its sources and the related atlas pages. Revision mode hides the labels to test yourself.

Clinical years

Ascending urinary tract infection

Objective: follow an E. coli from gut to kidney, name its adhesins, and understand the role of the catheter.

Step 5 / 5
Ascending urinary tract infection1. Ascent — A gut organism contaminates the periurethral area, then ascends the urethra to the bladder. 2. Bladder adhesion — In uropathogenic E. coli, type 1 pili (FimH adhesin) mediate bladder colonisation and invasion. 3. Pyelonephritis — Infection ascends to the kidneys; P pili (PapG adhesin) bind there. 4. Bacteraemia — Bacteria may cross the tubular epithelium into the bloodstream. 5. Urinary catheter — The catheter becomes coated with fibrinogen, where bacteria attach and form biofilm; catheter-associated infection is the leading cause of secondary bacteraemia.KidneyKidneyBladderGut reservoirUrethraType 1 pili (FimH)→ bladderP pili (PapG) → kidneyBacteraemiaCatheter: fibrinogen→ biofilm
  • Pathogen
  • Host (cells, tissues)
  • Toxin, damage
  • Structure

Key points

  • Ascending route: gut, periurethral area, urethra, bladder.
  • E. coli: type 1 pili (FimH) for the bladder, P pili (PapG) for the kidney.
  • From the kidney, bacteria may reach the blood.

Classic pitfall

Thinking the catheter is inert: it becomes coated with fibrinogen, a support for adhesion and biofilm.

Related pathogen pages (5)

Sources

Educational content · Illustrative mechanisms · Not applicable to individual clinical decisions · MDR 2017/745

This page is the text version, generated at build time. The 3D anatomical atlas requires JavaScript.