Paediatric renal and urology Flashcards
What is cystitis?
Inflammation of the bladder and can be a result of a bladder infection
What are the symptoms of UTI in babies?
Fever
Lethargy
Irritability
Vomiting
Poor feeding
Urinary frequency
What are the symptoms of UTI in older children?
Fever
Abdominal, suprapubic pain
Vomiting
Dysuria
Urinary frequency
Incontinence
When is a diagnosis of pyelonephritis made?
A temperature greater than 38 degrees
Loin pain or tenderness
What does the presence of nitrites in urine suggest and why?
Bacteria as gram negative bacteria (such as E.coli) break down nitrates, a normal waste product of urine into nitrites
What do leukocytes in the urine suggest?
Leukocytes are white blood cells and normally found in urine. A significant rise however can indicate infection. Urine dipstick tests for leukocyte esterase which is a product of leukocytes
Are nitrites or leukocytes a better indication of UTI?
Nitrites- if just increased leukocytes then don’t treat for UTI unless there is clinical evidence
What is sent to the lab when testing for UTI?
Midstream urine
What is the management for children under 3 months with a fever?
Immediate IV abx (e.g. ceftriaxone) and full septic screen, blood cultures and lactate, maybe also a lumbar puncture
What are typical antibiotic choices for management of UTI in children over 3 months?
Trimethoprim
Nitrofurantoin
Cefalexin
Amoxicillin
Which children with UTI should have an ultrsound?
All children under 6 months with their first UTI
Children with recurrent UTIs within 6 weeks
Children with atypical UTIs
When are Dimercaptosuccinic acid scans used in UTI in children?
4-6 months after illness to assess for damage from recurrent or atypical UTIs.
How do DMSA scans work?
Involves injecting a radioactive material (DMSA) and using a gamma camera to assess how well material is taken up by the kidneys. Where there are patches of kidney that have not taken up the material, this indicates scarring that may be the result of previous infection
What is vesico-ureteric reflux and what does it predispose people to?
Where urine has the tendency to flow from the bladder back into the ureters predisposing to UTIs and subsequent renal scarring
How is vesico-ureteric reflux diagnosed?
Micturating cystourethrogram
What is the management of vesico-ureteric reflux?
Avoid constipation
Avoid an excessively full bladder
Prophylactic antibiotics
Surgical input from paediatric urology
When should micturating cystourethrogram used?
To investigate atypical or recurrent UTIs in children under 6 months. Also used where there is family history of vesico-ureteric reflux, dilation of the ureter on ultrasound or poor urinary flow
What does micturating cystourethrogram involve?
Catheterising the child, injecting contrast into the bladder and taking a series of xray films to determine whether the contrast is refluxing. Children are usually given prophylactic antibiotics for 3 days around the time of the investigation
What is vulvovaginitis?
Inflammation and irritation of the vulva and vagina
Who does vulvovaginitis affect?
Girls aged 3 to 10 years
What can vulvovaginitis be exacerbated by?
Wet nappies, Chemicals or soaps, tight clothing that traps moisture or sweat in the area, poor toilet hygiene, constipation, threadworms, pressure on the area e.g. horse riding, heavily chlorinated pools
Why is vulvovaginitis less common after puberty?
Oestrogen helps keep the skin and vaginal mucosa healthy and resistant to infection
What does vulvovaginitis present with?
Soreness
Itching
Erythema around the labia
Vaginal discharge
Dysuria
Constipation
Why is vulvovaginitis often misdiagnosed as a UTI?
Because a urine dipstick may show leukocytes but will not show nitrites
What is the management for vulvovaginitis?
Usually no treatment required
Avoid washing area with harsh soaps and perfumes
Keep the area dry
Emollients
Loose cotton clothing
What is nephrotic syndrome?
When the basement membrane in the glomerulus becomes highly permeable to protein, allowing proteins to leak from the blood into the urine.
At what ages is nephrotic syndrome most common?
2 to 5 years
What does nephrotic syndrome present with?
Frothy urine, generalised oedema and pallor
What is the classic triad of features for nephrotic syndrome?
Low serum albumin, High urine protein content (>3 + protein on urine dipstick), oedema
Apart from the classic triad, what other three symptoms occur in patients with nephrotic syndrome?
Deranged lipid profile with high levels of cholesterol., triglycerides and low density lipoproteins
High BP
Hyper-coagulability with an increased tendency for blood clots
What is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children?
Minimal change disease causes over 90% of cases in children under 10
What are the secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome?
Intrinsic kidney disease: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
Systemic illness: Henoch schonlein purpura, Diabetes, Infection (HIV, hepatitis and malaria)
What is the diagnosis for minimal change disease?
Renal biopsy and standard microscopy
Urinanalysis will show small molecular weight proteins and hyaline cysts
What is the management of minimal change disease?
Corticosteroids and most children make a full recovery.
What is the management for nephrotic syndrome?
Corticosteroids
Low salt diet
Diuretics for oedema
Albumin infusions in severe hypo
Antibiotic prophylaxis if severe
What is the treatment of nephrotic syndrome using corticosteroids?
High dose are given for 4 weeks and then gradually weaned over the next 8 weeks
What does steroid sensitive mean?
They respond to steroids (80% of children)
What does steroid dependent mean?
Patients struggle to wean steroids due to relapses
What is steroid resistant?
Patients that do not respond to steroids
What is used for nephrotic syndrome in steroid resistant children?
ACE inhibitors and immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus or rituximab
What are the complications of nephrotic syndrome?
Hypovolemia- fluid from intravascular space leaks into interstitial space, causing oedema and low BP
Thrombosis- proteins that prevent blood clotting are lost in the kidneys and liver responds to low albumin by producing pro-thrombotic proteins
Infection- kidneys leak immunoglobulins, exacerbated by immunosuppressant meds such as steroids
Acute or chronic renal failure
Relapse
What is nephritis?
Inflammation within the nephrons of the kidneys
What does nephritis cause?
Reduction in kidney function
Haematuria: invisible or visible amounts of blood in the urine
Proteinuria: although less than nephrotic syndrome
What are the two most common causes of nephritis in children?
Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis and IgA nephropathy (Berger’s disease)
When does post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis occur?
1-3 weeks after a beta-haemolytic streptococcus infection e.g. tonsilitis caused by streptococcus pyogenes.
How does strep infection cause glomerulonephritis?
Immune complexes of streptococcal antigens, antibodies and complement proteins get stuck in the glomeruli of the kidney and cause inflammation. Leading to an acute deterioration in renal function causing acute kidney injury.
What could suggest tonsilitis caused by streptococcus clinically?
History, throat swab or anti-streptolysin antibody titres on blood test
What is the management of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
Usually supportive. May need treatment with anti-HTN medications and diuretics if they develop complications e.g. HTN and oedema
What is IgA nephropathy also known as?
Berger’s disease