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

A chart comparing the appearance of urine in different conditions: normal pale yellow, glomerulonephritis tea/cola-colored, non-glomerular hematuria bright red, and nephro...
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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