Renal impairment and hydronephrosis in a premature infant following morphine infusion: case report.

This is a case report of an association between morphine administration and occurrence of hydronephrosis with acute renal failure. This premature female infant born at 27 weeks of gestation had moderate hydronephrosis with acute renal impairment while receiving morphine infusion for pain management after chest-tube insertion. All these findings were reversed after stopping morphine and urinary catheterization. Follow-up renal ultrasound and voiding cystourethrogram showed resolution of hydronephrosis with no evidence of vesicoureteral reflux. Morphine is associated with reversible hydronephrosis and renal impairment in premature infants.