Acute Glomerulonephritis is very common in children. The
conventional treatments only focus on controlling blood pressure, eradicating
infection etc. However, as its underlying cause is not eliminated, Acute
Glomerulonephritis will cause a series of severe complications in children.
Hear failure
Heart failure is commonly seen in children with Acute Glomerulonephritis.
They often present pulmonary congestion, liver enlargement, left heart failure
or right heart failure etc. Also the children can be tested out to have
noticeable enlargement of heart. These complications are related to the
retention of fluid and sodium due to decreasing in glomerular filtration rate
and endocrine abnormality. It usually occurs 1~2 weeks after the onset of Acute
Glomerulonephritis.
Cerebropathy
The incidence of cerebropathy in children is 5~10%. The children with Acute
Glomerulonephritis usually present headache, vomiting, somnolence. In severe
case, they may have coma and convulsions. This may be associated with severe
high blood pressure, cerebral edema or cerebrovascular spasm.
Acute Renal Failure
During the acute period of Acute Glomerulonephritis, the mesangial cells and
endothelial cells have massive proliferation and even cresent formation, which
can cause oliguria and even anuria and Acute Renal Failure.(Causes of Acute Renal Failure)
Although most of the children can recover after proper treatment, some
children may progress into Chronic Glomerulonephritis and finally End Stage
Renal Failure. Therefore, the parents should not delay the effective treatment
for their children.
Learn More: How Can We Prevent Acute Glomerulonephritis