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Acute nephritic syndrome

Glomerulonephritis - acute; Acute glomerulonephritis; Nephritis syndrome - acute

Acute nephritic syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur with some disorders that cause swelling and inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidney, or glomerulonephritis.

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Glomerulus and nephron
Kidney anatomy

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Urination

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Causes

Acute nephritic syndrome is often caused by an immune response triggered by an infection or other disease.

Common causes in children and adolescents include:

Common causes in adults include:

The inflammation affects the function of the glomerulus. This is the part of the kidney that filters blood to make urine and remove waste. As a result, blood and protein appear in the urine, and excess fluid builds up in the body.

Swelling of the body occurs when the blood loses a protein called albumin. Albumin keeps fluid in the blood vessels. When it is lost, fluid collects in the body tissues.

Blood loss from the damaged kidney structures leads to blood in the urine.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of nephritic syndrome are:

Other symptoms that may occur include:

Symptoms of acute kidney failure or long-term (chronic) kidney disease may develop.

Exams and Tests

During an examination, your health care provider may find the following signs:

Tests that may be done include:

A kidney biopsy will show inflammation of the glomeruli, which may indicate the cause of the condition.

Tests to find the cause of acute nephritic syndrome may include:

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation in the kidney and control high blood pressure. You may need to stay in a hospital to be diagnosed and treated.

Your provider may recommend:

Outlook (Prognosis)

The outlook depends on the disease that is causing the nephritis. When the condition improves, symptoms of fluid retention (such as swelling and cough) and high blood pressure may go away in 1 or 2 weeks. Urine tests may take months to return to normal.

Children tend to do better than adults and usually recover completely. Only rarely do they develop complications or progress to chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic kidney disease.

Adults do not recover as well or as quickly as children. Although it is unusual for the disease to return, in some adults, the disease does return and they will develop end-stage kidney disease and may need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your provider if you have symptoms of acute nephritic syndrome.

Prevention

Often, the disorder cannot be prevented, although treatment of illness and infection may help to reduce the risk.

Related Information

IgA nephropathy
IgA vasculitis - Henoch-Schonlein purpura
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (GN)
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Lupus nephritis
Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
Hypersensitivity vasculitis
Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease
Community-acquired pneumonia in adults
Abscess
Mononucleosis
Measles
Mumps
Typhoid fever
Hepatitis
Urine - bloody
Acute kidney failure
Chronic kidney disease
End-stage kidney disease
High blood pressure in adults – hypertension
Heart failure
Pulmonary edema
Nephrotic syndrome

References

Radhakrishnan J, Stokes MB. Glomerular disorders and nephrotic syndromes. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 107.

Saha M, Pendergraft WF, Jennette JC, Falk RJ. Primary glomerular disease. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 31.

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Review Date: 8/28/2023  

Reviewed By: Walead Latif, MD, Nephrologist and Clinical Associate Professor, Rutgers Medical School, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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