Hydronephrosis (cont.)
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
In this Article
- What is hydronephrosis?
- What causes hydronephrosis?
- What are the symptoms of hydronephrosis?
- When should I seek medical care for hydronephrosis?
- How is hydronephrosis diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for hydronephrosis?
- What are the complications of hydronephrosis?
- Can hydronephrosis be prevented?
- Hydronephrosis At A Glance
What are the symptoms of hydronephrosis?
There may or may not be direct symptoms of hydronephrosis depending upon the underlying cause.
Individuals with acute hydronephrosis, for example symptoms from renal colic due to a kidney stone begin with an acute onset of intense flank or back pain radiating to the groin, associated with nausea, vomiting, and sweating. Colicky pain comes and goes and its intensity may cause the person to writhe or roll around or pace in pain. There may be blood seen in the urine.
Chronic hydronephrosis develops over time and there may be no specific symptoms. Tumors in the pelvis or bladder obstruction may develop silently and the person may have symptoms of kidney failure. These are very non specific and may include weakness, malaise, nausea and vomiting. If electrolyte abnormalities occur because the kidneys are unable to regulate sodium, potassium, and calcium, there may be heart rhythm disturbances and muscle spasms.
When should I seek medical care for hydronephrosis
A person with acute hydronephrosis usually develops significant pain and needs emergent help with pain control.
Blood in the urine is never normal and should not be ignored. Most often in women, it is due to a bladder infection, but other causes include kidney stones, tumors, and occasionally is associated with appendicitis.
Individuals who have the diagnosis of hydronephrosis who develop a fever need to be seen immediately. If a urinary tract infection occurs and there is decreased urine flow, there is the risk of becoming very ill or septic.
Hydronephrosis is a true emergency in patients with only one kidney and should the person believe that the lone kidney is at risk, urgent medical care should be accessed.
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