THE HEART IN ACUTE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

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Abstract
Eighty-eight cases of acute glomerulonephritis were studied with special reference to cardiac changes. Diagnosis of heart failure was established in 22 of 88 cases, occurring more commonly in patients over 21 years of age. There was a close association between severe hypertension and cardiac failure, the failure occurring more frequently in patients with moderate or severe hypertension. Teleroentgenograms were available in 29 of 88 cases. Twelve were normal; 17 showed cardiac enlargement. In 8 patients serial measurements of the cardiac area were made with demonstration of the changes in size of the heart. Ecg''s were studied in 47 of the 88 cases. Twenty-six were normal, one was borderline, and 20 were abnormal. The abnormalities most frequently noted were in the T Wave changes in Lead I which were either of low voltage or inverted. Ecg changes did not keep pace with clinical improvement, returning to normal in from 14 to 21 days. While cardiac failure occurred in 1/4 of the 88 cases, it occurred in 9 of 16 patients who had convulsions. Ecg''s were abnormal in patients with convulsions. There was found to be little relation between the height of the blood pressure on the day an ecg was taken and the abnormalities evidenced by the ecg. However, a close relation exists between previous hypertension and ecg abnormalities.