AKI, CKD & GN Flashcards
What are the different KDIGO classifications of an AKI?
Stage 1:
Serum Creatinine 1.5-1.9x baseline,
Urine output <0.5ml/kg/hr for 6-12 hours
Stage 2:
Serum Creatinine 2.0-2.9x baseline,
Urine output <0.5ml/kg/hr for >12 hours
Stage 3:
Serum Creatinine 3x baseline,
Urine Output <0.3ml/kg/hr for >24 hours OR
Anuria for >12 hours
What are some modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for AKI?
Modifiable
- Dehydration
- Sepsis
- Diabetes
- Nephrotoxic drugs
- Drugs eg. ACEi, ARBs, NSAIDs, Antibiotics
Non-Modifiable
- >75 years old
- CKD
- HF
Peripheral vascular disease - Chronic Liver Disease
- LUTS Hx
How would AKI present?
- symptoms of uraemia eg. anorexia, nausea, pruritis, vomiting. Then drowsiness, fits, coma, confusion
- GI bleeds, epistaxis
- Hyperkalaemia (particularly in sepsis or muscle trauma)
- Metabolic acidosis
- Pulmonary Oedema
- Hyponatraemia
What is acute tubular necrosis?
sustained underperfusion and reduced renal blood flow of renal tubules, resulting in tubular death
OR
nephrotoxins causing direct injury/cell death in renal tubules
What are some pre-renal causes of AKI?
RENAL HYPOPERFUSION
- Hypovolaemia (bleeding, dehydration, etc)
- Decreased effective circulating vol (congestive heart failure, liver failure)
- Decreased cardiac output
- decreased intake/ dehydration
- Hepatorenal syndrome (portal HTN results in splanchnic vasodilation which triggers RAAS and causes renal vasoconstriction)
- Systemic vasodilation/ Shock eg. anaphylactic, cardiogenic, hypovolaemic, mechanical
- Renal artery stenosis
- Impaired renal autoregulation eg. NSAIDs (afferent vasoconstriction), ACEI/ARBs (efferent vasodilation), Cyclosporin
What are some Intrinsic Renal causes of AKI?
Split into those affecting Glomerular, Tubules, Vascular
Glomerular - Acute glomerulonephritis
- Membranous (adults)
- Minimal change (children)
- IgA Nephropathy (children)
- Focal segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Tubules/Interstitium - Acute Tubular Necrosis caused by
- Exogenous Nephrotoxins (iodinated contrast, aminoglycosides, cisplatin, amphotericin B, gentamicin)
- Endogenous Nephrotoxins (Haemolysis, Rhabdomyolysis, Myeloma, Intratubular crystals)
- Sepsis/Infection/Ischaemia
Vascular
- Vasculitides eg. Wegeners, Goodpastures, SLE, HSP, Vasculitis
- Malignant Hypertension
- TTP, HUS
- pre-eclampsia
Describe how rhabdomyolysis happens?
This is “crush syndrome”
skeletal muscle injury causes the release of intracellular myoglobin, which is a direct tubular toxin leading to ATN
Causes eg. trauma, compartment syndrome, excessive exertion (eg. marathon runners), status epilepticus, muscle toxins (eg. antimalarials, snake venom)
Results in a really high CK.
What are some post-renal causes of AKI?
Split into External, Lumen and Wall obstructions.
External causes of obstruction
- Retroperitoneal fibrosis, aneurysms, tumours, diverticulosis, BPH, blocked catheter
Causes of obstruction in the wall
- Ureteric strictures, BPH
Causes of obstruction in the lumen of ureters/kidneys/bladder
- Clots, calculi, papillary necrosis, tumours
What investigations would you do in a suspected AKI?
- Urine dipstick and MC&S
- PRE = normal
- RENAL = protein/blood on dipstick and RBC casts on microscopy is GN
- If protein/blood +ve, do c-ANCA and p-ANCA for vasculitis, anti-GBM, ANA, C3 and C4 for lupus nephritis, serum immunoglobulins and electrophoresis for myeloma
- ATN = muddy brown granular casts
- POST = sometimes blood on dipstick
- Assess volume status = pulse, bp, cap refill, JVP
- FBC, U&Es, LFTs, Bone profile, CRP, (CK if rhabdo suspected)
- Post-Strep GN (Anti-Streptolysin O Titres)
- USS KUB to rule out obstruction
- US of kidneys to differentiate between CKD and AKI
- In case of thrombocytopaenia consider HUS/TTP/DIC. Request haemolysis screen.
- Abdo exam can feel palpable bladder = outflow obstruction
- Neutrophil Gelatinase associated Lipocalin rises hours after AKI. (Better than Creatine which rises 48-72 hours after and by then it might be irreversible)
How would you manage an AKI?
- discontinue nephrotoxic agents
- if dehdyrated = fluids
- if overloaded = diuretics
- Monitor urine output/daily bloods (catheterise if necessary)
- Treat underlying cause
- Refer to specialist for consideration of renal replacement therapy
- Monitor creatinine
- Consider ICU admission
When would you consider renal replacement therapy for an AKI?
- Unresponsive Hyperkalaemia
- Unresponsive Metabolic Acidosis
- Fluid overload unresponsive to diuretics
- Uraemic pericarditis
- Uraemic encephalopathy (vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, reduced consciousness)
- Removal of drugs causing AKI (ethylene glycol, methanol, gentamicin, lithium, severe aspirin overdose)
How would you classify CKD?
Stage 1 = eGFR>90 = normal
Stage 2 = eGFR 60-89 = mild
Stage 3 = eGFR 30-59 = moderate
Stage 4 = eGFR 15-29 = severe
Stage 5 = eGFR <15 = kidney failure
What are some early symptoms of CKD? (urea <40mmol/L)
early on it is mostly asymptomatic but some experience:
- Malaise
- loss of appetite
- Itching (high urea)
- Nocturia/Polyuria (inability to concentrate urine)
- Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhoea
- Paraesthesia and tetany due to hypocalcaemia
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Peripheral/Pulmonary oedema (salt and water retention)
- anaemia
- erectile dysfunction in men, amenorrhoea in women
How would CKD present in more advanced uraemia? (50-60mmol/L)
CNS symptoms like Mental slowing, clouding of consciousness, seizures
Myoclonic twitching (myoclonus)
uraemic pericarditis (saddle ST elevation)
What signs on examination are there of CKD?
- short stature in children
- pallor due to anaemia
- increased photosensitive pigmentation
- brown colouration of nails
- pericardial friction rub
- flow murmurs (mitral regurg due to mitral annular calcification, aortic/pulmonary regurg due to vol overload)
- glove and stocking peripheral sensory loss
What are some of the risk factors for CKD?
- CVS disease
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- HTN
- AKI
- Chronic NSAID use
What are some common causes of CKD?
- Diabetes (most common in UK) = 20-40%
- HTN = 5-25%
- Glomerulonephritis = 10-20%
- Renovascular disease (Renal artery stenosis) = 5%
- Polycystic Kidney Disease or other congenital = 5%
- Obstructive nephropathy or urological problems
- Chronic/Recurrent pyelonephritis
- Systemic inflammatory disease eg. SLE/Vasculitis = 5%
How would you differentiate between AKI and CKD?
- CKD kidneys would be small and scarred with the presence of cysts. AKI has normal sized kidneys
- CKD presents with anaemia (normochromic normocytic)
- AKI has a low BP, CKD has a high BP
- CKD has CNS symptoms later
- CKD presents with oligouria very late. Early on it is polyuria and nocturia.
What are the main complications of CKD?
- Anaemia of chronic disease
- Mineral and bone disease
- results in bone pain and fractures
- Secondary/Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism
- bone pain and fractures
- Hypertension
- can result in HF, CVS disease
- CVS Disease !!!!!!
- Malnutrition/Sarcopenia
- Dyslipidaemia
What are some later complications of CKD?
Electrolyte disturbances
Fluid overload
Metabolic acidosis
Uraemic pericarditis
Uraemic encephalopathy
How would you manage the Hypertension?
ACEI (check K first via U&Es. Not if K+>5)
For dialysis patients, do low salt diet and ultrafiltration