Question

A child is admitted with a diagnosis of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. While performing a physical assessment and reviewing the child's laboratory reports, what clinical findings does the nurse expect?

A) Decreased blood pressure.
B) Decreased urinary protein.
C) Increased blood urea nitrogen.
D) Increased creatinine clearance.

Answer 1

In a child with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, the nurse would typically expect increased blood pressure, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and decreased creatinine clearance due to the inflammation of the glomeruli leading to impaired kidney function.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a child with a diagnosis of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, the nurse would expect to find clinical findings consistent with the effects of inflammation on the kidneys due to a previous streptococcal infection. These would typically include increased blood pressure (hypertension) due to fluid retention and the kidneys’ attempt to filter blood despite being inflamed, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels due to decreased kidney function leading to poor clearance of waste, and a decrease in creatinine clearance reflecting a reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

It is unlikely for urinary protein to be decreased as glomerulonephritis usually presents with increased proteinuria due to the increased permeability of the damaged glomerular filtration barrier. Furthermore, decreased blood pressure is generally not a characteristic of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis unless there is significant volume loss, which is not a primary feature of this condition.