Proteinuria Case Studies

Patient E is a 17 year old female who is experiencing joint pain and has an unusual rash. She also experiences edema that generally appears as puffiness in the feet, legs, and ankles. The swelling is usually absent in the morning, but gradually worsens as she walks around during the day. Her urine is very light yellow and bright in colour, it also appears to be chunky and cloudy. There is no odour in the urine and it has a pH of 6.5-7.0, meaning it is acidic. The urine has no glucose, or yeast present in it, as well as no nitrite, bilirubin or blood. However, it does contain a trace of protein, and a large amount of ketones. It also has a specific gravity of 1.010, which is normal. An indefinite decision is made that this patient has the disorder …show more content…
Healthy kidneys do not allow a significant amount of protein to pass through their filters. However, filters damaged by kidney disease may let proteins leak from the blood into the urine, meaning there is a possibility the patient may have kidney disease which lead to proteinuria. This patient may have diabetes as well; the results show that there is a large amount of ketones in the urine which is a characteristic of diabetes, and proteinuria can be caused by diabetes. Proteinuria is not a specific disease so its treatment depends on identifying and managing its underlying cause, whether it is kidney disease or diabetes. If the cause is kidney disease then proper medical attention is needed and drugs are sometimes prescribed. In mild or temporary proteinuria, which the patient may have, no treatment may be necessary. However, protein in urine may also indicate the patient has a bacterial infection, if this is the case the patient should see a doctor and get