Renal Flashcards
What make up the triad in nephrotic syndrome?
Proteinuria
Hypoalbuminaemia
Oedema
Why are patients with nephrotic syndrome pre-disposed to thrombosis?
Because they have loss of antithrombin-3, protein C and protein S along with a rise in fibrinogen and clotting factors
What are the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome?
MMF DA Membranous nephropathy Minimal change nephropathy Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis Amyloidosis Diabetic retinopathy
Why are persistently nephrotic patients at increased risk of infection?
Is anything done to take this into account?
Because they lose immunoglobulins in the urine
They may be on immunosuppressive medication.
Why do patients with nephrotic syndrome also suffer from hyperlipidaemia?
Because there is increased production of proteins by the liver to compensate for the hypoalbuminaemia, and as a consequence there is increased production of lipids
What is the underlying pathophysiology behind nephrotic syndrome?
Podocyte or subepithelial injury
What treatment is successful in 90% of patients with minimal change disease?
Steroids
What are the values of proteinurea and hypoalbuminaemia used in the definition of nephrotic syndrome?
Proteinuria (> 3g/24hr)
Hypoalbuminaemia (< 30g/L)
What are clinical signs of nephrotic syndrome?
- Periorbital oedema
- Scrotal or vulval, leg and ankle oedema
- Ascites
- Breathlessness due to pleural effusions and abdominal distension
- Infection such as peritonitis, septic arthritis, or sepsis due to loss of protective immunoglobulins in the urine
Describe the peri-orbital oedema that is usually seen with nephrotic syndrome
What can it sometimes be misdiagnosed as?
It is usually worst in the morning and improves during the day
It is often misdiagnosed as an allergy
What vaccinations are children with nephrotic syndrome recommended?
Pneumococcal
Seasonal influenza vaccine
How is recurrence of nephrotic syndrome monitored for?
Parents of children with nephrotic syndrome dip the child’s urine daily with albustix to see if they have a recurrence
What are the 2 types of nephrotic syndrome?
Steroid resistant and Steroid sensitive
What are the 3 ways that steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome can progress?
1/3 resolves directly
1/3 have infrequent relapses
1/3 have frequent relapses and are steroid dependent
What types of medications may be used for the treatment of frequently relapses nephrotic syndrome?
Steroid sparing agents e.g:
- Levamisole
- Cyclophosphamide
- Tacrolimus/cyclosporin A
- Mycophenalate mofetil
- Tacrolimus (for difficult cases)
What are some of the complications of nephrotic syndrome?
lHyperlipidaemia
Hypercoagulability
Predisposition to infection
If a patient is resistant to steroids or whilst you wait for the steroids to begin working in recurrence of steroid sensitive nephrotic you may give a diuretic. What type of diuretic do you give?
Is prescribing of the diuretic how to you work out how much to give and why?
Loop diuretic (e.g furosemide)
You calculate the amount to give based on the child’s surface area, not weight.
This is because patients with nephrotic syndrome often have an increased weight due to their oedema, which once prescribed fluids will drop quite quickly.
What signs or symptoms and infants <3 months present with for a UTI?
Most common:
Temp >38, Vomiting, Lethargy, Irritability, Poor feeding, failure to thrive
If a child present with an UNEXPLAINED fever >38 or higher within what time period should they have a urine sample tested?
When else should you carry out a urine sample?
Within 24 hours
Children with an alternative site of infection but who remain unwell (consider urine test after 24 hours at the latest)
What signs or symptoms and infants and children >3 months PRE-VERBAL present with for a UTI?
Most common: Fever >38, Abdo pain, loin tenderness, vomiting, poor feeding
What signs or symptoms and infants and children >3 months VERBAL present with for a UTI?
Frequency, dysuria
Dysfunctional voiding, changes to continence, abdominal pain, loin tenderness, haematuria
What is the gold standard for the collection of a urine sample?
‘Clean-catch’ sample - into a waiting clean pot when the nappy is removed
OR
Midstream sample in the older child
What value on a urine bacterial culture is suggestive of infection?
A bacterial culture of >10^5 colony-forming units (CFU) of a single organism
If the gold standard method of urine collection is not possible what other methods can be used?
If clean catch is not possible then urine collection pads should be used
Cotton wool balls, gauze and sanitary towels are not suitable
Invasive methods such as suprapubic aspiration should only be used if non-invasive methods are not possible
How should urine be preserved?
If urine is to be cultured but cannot be cultured within 4 hours of collection, the sample should be refrigerated or preserved with boric acid immediately (this is to prevent overgrowth of contaminating bacteria)
What is the further management of infants <3 months with a UTI?
They should be referred immediately to a paediatrician
What are the most common causative organisms of UTI?
E coli Klebsiella Proteus Pseudomonas Streptococcus faecalis