What is glomerulonephritis in the setting of infection?
Glomerulonephritis associated with infection is varied. Post-infectious glomerulonephritis occurs after an infection and latent period in which the patient returns to her or his baseline health.
Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus is almost exclusively the etiology of post-infectious glomerulonephritis. In contrast, infection-associated glomerulonephritis occurs concurrently with the infection.
While an active staphylococcal infection is a classically recognized cause of infection-associated glomerulonephritis, it can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Complement levels, especially C3, are often—but not always—depressed in infection-associated glomerulonephritis.
Recognizing the distinction between these clinical presentations is necessary for appropriate clinical management.
The management of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis is supportive, primarily managing hypertension and volume overload. For infection-associated glomerulonephritis, the primary goal is to treat the infection.
