Description of the pathology (Glomerulonephritis)
Glomerulonephritis is an immune condition that originates from antigen-antibody complexes. It leads to an attack on the filters of the kidney called glomeruli. Glomeruli are essential for the function of the kidney as they filter out leftovers and remaining waste from the bloodstream into the patient’s urine. It can be chronic, whereby it can come on suddenly or can be acute. Primary glomerulonephritis occurs on its own while secondary glomerulonephritis occurs when another disease is the reason for the inflammation. Both kidneys have a functioning unit known as the nephron. It is made up of a sifter called glomerulus where the blood gets through and gets filtered. This is where waste substances get removed from the blood and get into the tubes. After filter, the waste gets into the tubes and finally, it gets discharged as urine. This essay will give a general discussion of the pathophysiology of glomerulonephritis.
Anatomy and physiology of body systems affected
Glomerulonephritis commonly affects the cardiovascular system as a result of built-up fluids around the lungs, body tissues and the heart. This exerts pressure on the heart which eventually leads to a rise in the blood pressure. The infection can lead to stroke and heart attack. It also affects blood and circulatory system. Damaged kidneys result in anaemia and iron deficiency as a result of the kidneys being affected and fail to produce erythropoietin hormone. The ailment highly affects the skeletal and musculoskeletal system which results from the kidney producing high levels of parathyroid hormone. The hormone absorbs calcium from the bones. This results in tin, weak and malformed bones because of the imbalance in minerals. It highly affects the integumentary system as a result of the imbalance of calcium and phosphorus minerals caused by kidney disease. As a result of calcium deficiency in the bones, patients itch on the skin which can lead to the development of wounds. High levels of urea in the blood cause gastrointestinal problems. Like nausea, vomiting and ulcers among others. The kidney disorder highly affects the circadian system as well. Renal failure results in the inability for one to sleep or to even remain asleep. It affects the sleep or circadian cycle. This further leads to a lower immune system and exhaustion thus affecting daily life. All the above effects end up affecting the nervous system of the body and can lead to depression.
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Mechanism of pathophysiology
Glomerulonephritis can be divided into three forms which are focal nephritis which means that a small portion of the glomerulonephritis is affected and patients usually do not have any symptoms. They may find blood in the urine occasionally but generally, the kidney function is not interfered with. The second form of this disorder is called diffuse nephritis whereby multiple of the kidney filters are attacked. A large area of the kidney filters is attacked by the infectious process. It leads to the failure of the kidney function and leakage of blood and protein into the urine among other symptoms. The third type is called nephritic syndrome. In this condition, there is a problem within the membrane of the kidney filters. This leads to a lot of protein leakage from the blood into the urine. The patient with this disorder notices swelling of the body mostly around the eyes, hands and feet. Urine becomes frothy owing to the much protein that is discharged from the blood.
Common symptoms of the condition include the patient noticing changes in the color of the urine. An indication of blood traces may be found in the urine. The urine output may start decreasing gradually as well. Patients may observe lumps everywhere on the body. This is because al fluids and extra salts have been retained in the blood. Patients with this condition mostly are associated with high blood pressure and certain abnormalities in the red blood cells.
Glomerulonephritis can be caused by a variety of factors which include infections. The major cause in children is a disorder known as post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (Adikari et al., 2014). A bacterium called streptococci is always involved that leads to sour throat. The bacteria can as well result in skin infections. At some point, the bacteria spread and toxins get into the bloodstream. This can cause an attack into the kidneys which leads to the condition. Viral conditions like Hepatitis B and C viruses (Cacoub & Patrice 2014) can as well cause glomerulonephritis. Another commonly known cause is an auto-immune condition. This is a condition whereby a person’s own immune system turns up against them. This can spread to the kidney and lead to infection of the kidney filters. An example of the auto-immune cause is a condition called systemic lupus. Certain drugs including some painkillers, antibiotics and certain toxins like cocaine can as well lead to this condition. Kidney dialysis must be taken in order to diagnose the ailment.
Prevention
Preventive measures can be taken against glomerulonephritis. Good hygiene, the practice of safe sex and avoiding IV drugs can help prevent viral infections which result in this disease. For patients with the chronic type of glomerulonephritis, it is crucial to control blood pressure since this may slow down kidney damage. Such patients are advised to consume fewer proteins. A renal dietitian can help out patients in planning their diet. Salt intake should be minimized to reduce fluid retention in the body. Patients with diabetes are advised to maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar levels and quit smoking.
Treatment
Treatment of glomerulonephritis can be done by first treating taking out any offending drug being used this could be a painkiller or certain antibiotics. The patient has to stop taking the drugs. In cases where there is an infection like a bacterial infection, the patient should immediately start using antibiotics so that the infection can be subdued. Doctors mostly incorporate medications called diuretic. Sometimes steroids may be utilized for treating the condition depending on the cause. Certain other Immune suppressive medications may be required to slow down the infection on the kidney filters. In some conditions, a procedure called plasmapheresis is taken (Misanovic et al., 2016). The doctor gets rid of the content of the plasma and it gets replaced with a fresh one that has no toxins.
Clinical Relevance
In reference to clinical relevance, numeric and semi-numeric structural examination of 40 incidences of lupus membrane-forming kidney inflammation disclosed the ailment in 23 case studies. It as well disclosed unusual parietal epithelium. The clinical course was connected with blood test results.7 to 18 sick people had glomeruli that is normocellular while 2 out of 23 sick people had glomeruli that is hypercellular were able to access full clinical suspension.
In conclusion, millions of people around the globe live with glomerulonephritis disease. There are many options for treatments that can help patients live a normal life. It is crucial for healthcare providers to ensure that all measures are taken to slow down the progression. Health workers should monitor the disease according to its stage. Introducing health education can as well help patients in improving their long-term outcomes. It is also important for individuals to look out for any symptoms associated with the disease and visit a healthcare provider immediately.
References
Adikari, M., Priyangika, D., Marasingha, I., Thamotheram, S., & Premawansa, G. (2014). Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis leading to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case report. BMC research notes , 7 (1), 644.
Cacoub, P., Comarmond, C., Domont, F., Savey, L., Desbois, A. C., & Saadoun, D. (2016). Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Therapeutic advances in infectious disease , 3 (1), 3-14.
Misanovic, V., Pokrajac, D., Zubcevic, S., Hadzimuratovic, A., Rahmanovic, S., Dizdar, S., ... & Begic, E. (2016). Plasmapheresis in pediatric intensive care unit. Medical Archives , 70 (5), 332.
