Glomerulonephritis Case Studies

2) What is your diagnosis for this patient (be specific)? How does this condition arise? What biological marker would you look for to confirm your diagnosis?
My diagnosis is that Susan has post streptococcal glomerulonephritis. This condition is due to an antigen and antibody interaction which comes about right after strep throat infection has healed. Strep throat, is a bacterial infection caused by an antigen, group A streptococci. Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, arises because proteins from the group A streptococci and proteins from the antibody fighting against the bacterium which are trying to filter through the kidneys. Instead the two create a mass in the glomerular basement causing the immune system to misguidedly infect the kidneys. This causes the glomerulus to swell which then restricts filtration. The restriction result in a domino effect of problems. Clear …show more content…
Depending on how damaged Susan’s kidney are as a result it could take anywhere from a couple weeks or even a couple of years to recover. Long term effects are rare. Nevertheless chronic kidney disease and failure is seen in a small number of adults. If she develops kidney failure, her kidneys would require dialysis or a kidney transplant. For about a year Susan should attend regular checkups with a nephrologist until all signs of post streptococcal glomerulonephritis are cleared. In these visits her all of her previous symptoms need to be followed up on. Her progression in her recovery is determined through a urinalysis, blood test, and measure of blood pressure every visit. She should also keep in mind that her sodium levels are already relatively high so she should restrict the amount of sodium she consumes. There usually aren’t any more complications than that but if she notices any symptoms of post streptococcal glomerulonephritis starting to return she should immediately get it