Acute prostatitis

Acute prostatitis is a sudden inflammation of the prostate, usually caused by bacterial infection. It can cause urinary symptoms, pelvic pain, fever, and systemic illness.

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Prostate: A gland below the bladder that contributes fluid to semen and surrounds part of the urethra. Its position around the urethra helps explain why inflammation can obstruct urination.
Dysuria: Pain, burning, or discomfort during urination. Inflammation near the urethra commonly makes urination painful.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis: A persistent or recurrent bacterial infection of the prostate, often associated with repeated urinary tract infections. Unlike acute prostatitis, it typically follows a prolonged or recurrent course.
Antibiotic therapy: Treatment with medicines that kill bacteria or inhibit their growth. Prompt antibiotics treat the bacterial infection, with choice guided by severity and culture results.
Ascending urinary tract infection: An infection that spreads upward from the urethra into the bladder or other urinary structures. Bacteria can ascend through the urinary tract and reach prostate tissue.
Acute urinary retention: A sudden inability to empty the bladder despite a full bladder. Prostate swelling can obstruct urine flow and make retention an emergency.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A chronic pelvic pain condition with prostatitis-like symptoms and no consistently demonstrated bacterial infection. Pelvic pain may resemble acute disease, but fever and acute bacterial infection are not defining features.
Sepsis: Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. Prostate infection can enter the bloodstream and progress to this emergency.
Escherichia coli: A species of bacteria that commonly lives in the intestine; some strains cause urinary and bloodstream infections. It is the most frequent bacterial cause of acute prostatitis.
Urinalysis: Laboratory examination of urine for substances, cells, and signs of infection. White blood cells and other findings can support suspected bacterial infection.