Question

Following a diagnosis of acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) in their 6 year-old child, the parents remark: "We just don't know how he caught the disease!" The nurse's response is based on an understanding that

A) AGN is a streptococcal infection that involves the kidney tubules
B) The disease is easily transmissible in schools and camps
C) The illness is usually associated with chronic respiratory infections
D) It is not "caught" but is a response to a previous B-hemolytic strep infection

Answer 1

Acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) is often a response to a previous pharyngitis or skin infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, and is not directly transmissible. The condition follows the formation of immune complexes that trigger inflammation in the kidneys.

Step-by-step explanation:

Acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) in children is often a response to a previous infection rather than being directly caught or transmitted. Specifically, AGN is frequently caused by an immune response to streptococcal antigens following a pharyngitis or skin infection with Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A strep). B-hemolytic streptococcal infections can result in the body forming immune complexes, which can lodge in the glomeruli (tiny filters in the kidneys) and trigger inflammation, leading to glomerulonephritis. Although the Streptococcus bacteria itself does not infect the kidneys directly, the immune response can cause significant kidney damage.