12-year-old Quan from Ho Chi Minh City struggled with difficulty breathing, swelling all over his body, a 4 kg weight gain in just three days, and high blood pressure. These symptoms were later diagnosed as acute glomerulonephritis caused by streptococcus. However, Quan’s family initially believed that he had a sore throat and treated him with fever-reducing medicine.
Three weeks prior to the onset of his symptoms, Quan had a fever and cough, which subsided after treatment. But last week, he began experiencing facial swelling, reduced urination, rapid weight gain up to 55 kg and overall body swelling. His family took him from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City for a medical examination. Upon arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport, Quan suffered from headaches and difficulty breathing, requiring emergency treatment at Tam Anh General Hospital.
On April 17th, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Hien of the Department of Pediatrics explained that Quan presented with rapid breathing, body edema, gross hematuria and high blood pressure. The doctor identified pleural effusion, diffuse interstitial lung damage and a urine test revealed hematuria and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Quan was diagnosed with acute glomerulonephritis following a streptococcal infection.
Acute glomerulonephritis is a condition where the kidneys struggle to filter waste and fluid from the body due to damage to the glomeruli leading to edema in children aged 2-12 years old it is often triggered by acute respiratory or skin infections like streptococcus infection. Symptoms manifest suddenly with edema oliguria (less than normal urine output), hematuria (blood in the urine), elevated blood pressure fatigue or difficulty breathing could potentially lead to life-threatening complications such as acute pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in lungs). Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent kidney failure in children with Acute Glomerulonephritis . Family members should seek medical attention promptly if a child exhibits symptoms like fever swelling rapid weight gain reduced urination fatigue or difficulty breathing