KIDNEY OR URETER INJURY |
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DESCRIPTIONKidney or ureter injury involves bruising or tearing of the kidney or ureter. Kidneys filter waste material from the bloodstream and produce urine. Ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Appropriate health care includes:
Physician's monitoring of general condition and medications.
Hospitalization for shock or internal bleeding.
Surgery to repair the ureter or remove the kidney, if other treatment fails.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
Pain or tenderness in the back, just below the ribs on the injured side.
Fever less than 101F (38.3C).
Blood in the urine.
If your child has severe pain with large amounts of blood in the urine, one or both kidneys may be seriously injured.
CAUSES
A blow or penetrating wound to the side of the body under the ribs.
RISK FACTORS
Accident-proneness; hazardous activities; hazardous driving conditions; excess alcohol consumption.
PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS OR RECURRENCEProtect your child from injury whenever possible. Require that all automobile passengers buckle their seat belts and shoulder harnesses to minimize internal injury in case of accident. Don't drink and drive.
BASIC INFORMATION
MEDICAL TESTS
Your own observation of symptoms.
Medical history and physical exam by a doctor.
Laboratory urine studies.
X-rays of the urinary tract.
Special studies that may include:
-- Ultrasonography: A non-invasive technique that translates sound waves into images displayed on a screen and photographed (See Glossary).
-- CAT or CT Scan (computerized axial tomography): Non-invasive computerized X-ray images that show sections (or "slices") of an organ or region of the body clearly
and precisely (See Glossary).
-- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A non-invasive (non-X-ray) computerized test that uses radio frequency energy and a powerful magnetic field to produce images with excellent detail (See Glossary).
-- Radionuclide Scan: A nuclear medicine procedure that uses radioactive isotopes injected into a patient. The isotope tracers are absorbed in various concentrations by targeted organs, which are then photographed (See Glossary).
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
Internal bleeding.
Shock (sweating, faintness, nausea, panting, rapid pulse, and pale, cold, moist skin).
Urine leakage into the abdomen, causing abdominal inflammation or infection.
Scarring and narrowing of the injured ureter.
PROBABLE OUTCOME
Usually curable with time, bed rest, and surgery or protection against infection. The surgery to remove an injured kidney (if it does not heal with other measures) is not complicated. After recovery, your child can lead a normal life with one kidney.
TREATMENT
HOME CARENo special instructions except those listed under other headings.
MEDICATION
Your doctor may prescribe:
Pain relievers.
Antibiotics to treat or protect against infection.
See Medications section for information regarding medicines your doctor may prescribe.
ACTIVITY
Your child will need bed rest for 1 to 2 weeks after the injury. After recovery, the child can resume normal activities gradually.
DIET & FLUIDS
No special diet.
Encourage your child to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid daily.
Urge your child not to drink alcohol.
OK TO GO TO SCHOOL?When appetite has returned and alertness, strength, and feeling of well-being will allow.
CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF
Your child has symptoms of a kidney or ureter injury.
Symptoms recur after treatment, especially blood in the urine.
New, unexplained symptoms develop. Drugs used in treatment may produce side effects.
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