Cause of death - floating kidney (1912)??

[tigger]

A question for someone with a medical background...

I have a female ancestor who's death cert gives "floating kidney"
as a cause of death.

As far as I can establish - from links like this http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/thomas/kidney-mov.html
- it is unlikely to be fatal (even if it exists as a condition) - so what
could she have died of.

Is it possible she was diabetic?
(following 3 generations had type 1 diab. so I wonder where it came from)

Thanks

[stanmapstone]

See http://www.rootschat.com/links/032v/

Stan

[tigger]

Thanks for the link, Stan.

I still don't understand why it would be a cause of death though,
non of the links make it sound fatal?

[willow154]

Hi,
Was intrigued by your post and had a look at one or two sites on the web.
One or two articles said it could be complicated by wastage of the muscles - perhaps it was general debility and old age.
Sort of kidney complications with diabetes are I believe different, but hopefully someone with medical expertise will throw more light on it all.
Kind regards,
Paulene.

[Canuc]

Tigger,

After reading the link in the last post, the answer to answer to the diabetes question is: no greater for her than anybody. Floating Kidney is an anatomical problem not a physiological one.

You don't tell us when she died (but if she had three generations after her it seems an 1800's birth date might not be out of place). Sure the site suggested it is rarely fatal, but what about when it is.

Was a Post Mortem performed to discover the cause of death and, on finding nothing else abnormal, ascribed it to floating kidney. If we give the medical practitioner all credit for reaching a diagnosis based on the resources at their disposal the real cause may have been overlooked because they did not have the diagnostic tool or the knowledge base to find the information or recognize the symptom.

I am making an educated guess, but the kidney might have strangulated if it was that mobile. If there was surgical intervention there are three ways that death might arise. Hemorrhage, a blood vessel was traumatised and not tied off. Anaesthesia always has a risk, lower today than previously but still a risk hence the degree of specialism, the early drugs were a break through but still "evil". Infection, if we are talking the age of carbolic acid before sulfonamides and certainly penicillin then infection can not be ruled out. But, then the death cert might be expected to reveal this death due to "X" secondary to "Y"

Interesting

Happy hunting
Canuc

[stanmapstone]

Floating Kidney.
Prognosis. -- While it does not usually endanger life, it is a source of trouble and has been known to cause death by becoming incarcerated,(i.e. strangulated, obstructed), inducing uremia (A toxic condition resulting from kidney disease in which there is retention in the bloodstream of waste products normally excreted in the urine.) Diseases of the Kidneys and Nervous System By A. L. Blackwood


Stan

[Canuc]

Read you fool.
Died 1912?

Comments still stand: sulfonamides where only just coming on the medical scene, anaesthesia was still given by an open mask with the agent dropped onto the gauze (huge explosion risk) - Magill did his pioneering anaethesia work later to assist in the surgical repair of the horrendous facial injuries that Gillies and other treated during WWI.

Hah, Stan posted while I was wrting: strangulation more likely then

Canuc

[Suziesmith37]

Hi Tigger

Not a medic at all but searched and found these details.

Movable or Floating kidney gives a variety of symptoms, such as pains in the back and loins, faintness, vomiting and nausea.  The function of the kidney may be seriously interferred with, as the ureter may become kinked.  Hydronephrosis or distension of the kidney with urine, may be produced.

The return of blood through the renal vein may also be hindered and temporary vascular engorgement of the kidney with haematuria may be produced.

I think this may also be what Canuc has said?  

To be honest if she had been alive in this day and age it may have been spotted and treated (although looking through a lot of texts it is still missed today.) Your poor ancestor possibly thought it may have been 'womens' problems or was not taken seriously by the doctor  or indeed as Canuc said antibiotics were not the buzz word then.

It would be quite interesting to check historically what medical care was available around the year she died, I fear it may be quite an eye opener.

Su

Modified: Also I dont think (please correct if wrong) that the NHS was in operation so medical costs may have been an issue?

[tigger]

Thanks for your replies,

I had wondered if it was a misdiagnosis/missed diagnosis but it sounds like it could well be correct.

She was only 40, already a widow, and left young children.

Thanks for your help...