Patient Teaching:

Acute interstitial Nephritis

The disease process of acute interstitial nephritis
as well as diagnostic tests and treatment options

The Kidneys
The kidneys are the organs in your
body that produce urine. They are
located in your lower back and are
bean shaped. They contain up to
one million nephrons, a tube-
shaped unit that filters the blood
to create urine.

nephritis
Nephritis occurs when the nephrons
inside your kidney become inflamed
and aren't able to function properly
anymore.

15%

Prevalence: Causes:

Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) occurs There can be a variety of causes for AIN,
in only 15% of patients who have acute including infection, drug reactions, and
kidney injury auto immune disorders.

signs and symptoms

Sometimes acute interstitial nephritis will have little
to no signs or symptoms, however, these are the
things you should be aware of:

Hematuria: Albuminuria:
(bloody urine) pink or cola colored (protein in your urine) can make
urine urine frothy

Hypertension: Flank pain:

high blood pressure pain in your lower back

Edema:
Fever:
swelling in your arms, legs, or
a temperature of over 100.3 F
face

Questions?
Go to kidney.org.au to access free literature about
kidney health, or call 1800-454-363 for more
information
Diagnosis and treatment
Now that we know what acute interstitial
nephritis is, lets talk about how you can be
diagnosed and potential treatment options.

kidney biopsy
The most accurate way to diagnose AIN
is through a kidney biopsy, where a very
small portion of your kidney is removed
with a needle and tested in a lab.

other diagnostic tests:

Blood tests can be done to help determine kidney function, as
well as an ultrasound or MRI to help visualize the kidney.

The empirical method:

To avoid unnecessary procedures, sometimes your
healthcare provider may choose to treat your symptoms
of AIN without doing the tests for an official diagnosis

controlling Blood pressure

High blood pressure can damage
kidneys by putting too much strain on
them. This is why for most patients with
AIN, the main treatment is lowering their
blood pressure to prevent further kidney
damage.

Other treatments
Treatment will depend on the cause of AIN. Typical treatments
for each cause are listed below:

- Drug induced: discontinuation of the drug will usually resolve

symptoms
- Infection: anti-inflammatory medications as well as antibiotics
can be used to prevent further kidney damage
- Autoimmune disorders: treatment of the underlying
disease/disorder will help resolve symptoms

alternative treatment: steroid use

Some doctors may prescribe steroids after diagnosing AIN.
Research has found no correlation between steroids and
recovery, however some studies point to their use as possibly
being beneficial. Further research still needs to be done.

Questions?
Go to kidney.org.au to access free literature about kidney health, or call
1800-454-363 for more information
 References:
Alper, A. B. (2022, January 7). Tubulointerstitial nephritis clinical presentation:
History and physical examination. Tubulointerstitial Nephritis Clinical Presentation:
History and Physical Examination. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/243597-clinical#b4
Caravaca-Fontán, F., Fernández-Juárez, G., & Praga, M. (2019). Acute kidney injury
in interstitial nephritis. Current Opinion in Critical Care, 25(6), 558–564.
https://doi.org/10.1097/mcc.0000000000000654
Digital, C. (n.d.). Nephritis factsheet. Kidney Health Australia. Retrieved April 4,
2022, from https://kidney.org.au/resources/factsheets-and-photosheets/nephritis-
factsheet
Krishnan, N., & Perazella, M. A. (2015). Drug-induced Acute Interstitial Nephritis:
Pathology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment. Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases, 9(1), 3–
6.
Muriithi, A. K., Leung, N., Valeri, A. M., Cornell, L. D., Sethi, S., Fidler, M. E., & Nasr,
S. H. (2014). Biopsy-proven acute interstitial nephritis, 1993-2011: A case series.
American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 64(4), 558–566.
https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2014.04.027
Praga, M., & González, E. (2010). Acute interstitial nephritis. Kidney International,
77(11), 956–961. https://doi.org/10.1038/ki.2010.89
Raghavan, R., & Eknoyan, G. (2014). Acute Interstitial Nephritis- A Reappraisal and
Update. Clinical Nephrology, 82(3), 149–162. https://doi.org/10.5414/CN108386