IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg.Entrance-2026
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy

Tea coloured urine is a feature of:

Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg.Entrance-2026

Explanation

  • Glomerulonephritis involves inflammation of the glomeruli, the filtering units of the kidneys.
  • This inflammation allows red blood cells to leak into the filtrate, a condition known as hematuria.
  • As the red blood cells pass through the acidic environment of the renal tubules, the hemoglobin is oxidized to methemoglobin.
  • This chemical change turns the urine a characteristic dark brown, tea, or cola color, which is a hallmark sign of glomerular bleeding.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option B: The defining feature of Acute Renal Failure (now more commonly called Acute Kidney Injury) is a rapid decline in renal function, primarily marked by oliguria (low urine output) and an increase in serum creatinine.
  • Option C: Nephrotic Syndrome is characterized by massive proteinuria (excretion of large amounts of protein), which causes the urine to appear frothy or foamy.
  • Option D: Wilm's Tumor is a non-glomerular cause of hematuria. If bleeding occurs, it is typically frank (bright red) because the blood does not spend time in the acidic tubules to become oxidized.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Urine characteristics in renal pathologies as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • A nurse's assessment of urine color is a simple yet critical non-invasive diagnostic tool. Observing tea-colored urine is a red flag for glomerular injury.
  • This finding must be documented and reported promptly to the physician, as it indicates a need for further investigation into conditions like post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis or other nephritic syndromes.
  • What if? If the urine was described as 'frothy' or 'foamy' instead of tea-colored, the nurse's primary suspicion should shift from a nephritic process (like glomerulonephritis) to a nephrotic process, indicating massive proteinuria.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key clinical sign in the question stem, which is 'Tea coloured urine'.
  • Next, consider the pathophysiology of each option and how it would affect urine appearance.
  • Recall that 'tea-colored' or 'cola-colored' urine specifically points to oxidized blood that has passed through the nephron's tubules.
  • Evaluate the options: Glomerulonephritis causes glomerular bleeding. Acute Renal Failure's main sign is oliguria. Nephrotic Syndrome's main sign is proteinuria (frothy urine). Wilm's Tumor would cause frank, red bleeding.
  • Conclude that the description of oxidized blood in the urine is the classic presentation of Glomerulonephritis.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Urine characteristics in renal pathologies
  • Stem keywords: Tea coloured urine
  • Lead-in keywords: is a feature of

Question ID

QJJE4S0Z7vSnYWQIShGTXK

Reference Book

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) pp. 493-495, 489-491

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