Access Nephrology

A Commitment To Private Practice In Renal Medicine

GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

This is a common disease and in the days before the diabetes epidemic, the usual reason why patients came to kidney failure.

 

The process of treatment of glomerulonephritis begins with:
  1. Diagnosis – this often requires a kidney biopsy
  2. Measurement of renal function and the degree of proteinuria
  3. Determination of whether there is a systemic disease which is causing glomerulonephritis
Management
  • Management is often directed towards the consequences of  glomerulonephritis, rather than the disease itself.
  • Maintenance of a good urine through-put, tight control of blood pressure, lipid and sugar management, and avoidance of nephrotoxins.
  • The commonest nephrotoxins are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
  • Specific forms of glomerulonephritis require specific treatments.
  • The need for these treatments, such as immunosuppression, is determined by the diagnosis, and the degree of activity of the disease as seen on the kidney biopsy.