Azotemia - Dowers Flashcards
What is BUN?
Blood Urea Nitrogen - a waste product of protein metabolism
Urea is removed from the blood by the kidneys
Whats the source of creatinine>
Breakdown of muscle
What is uremia?
Clinical syndrome assocd with azotemia
Are all azotemic animals uremic?
NO! buuuuut… all uremic animals are azotemic
Increased BUN and/or creatinine
Azotemia
How can we categorize azotemia?
Prerenal, Renal, or Post-renal
What are our R/O for azotemia?
Prerenal, Renal, or Post-renal
Causes of Pre-renal azotemia
Cardiac dz
Shock: hypotension
Lack of intake - dehydrated
Loss: GI loss, skin, vessels, 3rd spacing
Azotemia with _____ is almost always pre-renal
Hypersthenuria
Patient has azotemia and isosthenuria…
Could be renal, but don’t forget about secondary dz’s…
E.g. Fluffy has pre-renal azotemia, but has inappropriately low USG because of X
X: DM, Cushing’s, Addison’s, etc
What is included (anatomically) in Post-renal azotemia?
Everything after the kidneys!
- renal pelvis
- ureter
- bladder
- urethra
What’s an appropriate response to pre-renal azotemia?
Water conservation
- decreased excretion (concentrated urine!)
- increased BUN/Creatinie
How can a patient have a post-renal obstruction and still be able to pee?
Block on one side (e.g. ureter)
Don’t forget about this and R/O post-renal by mistake
What do we look for on rads in patients with suspected post-renal azotemia? what about US?
Rads: nephroliths and/or ureteroliths
US: hydronephrosis or hydroureter
Patient has suspected urinary tract rupture… we use Azosticks as a quick test on the abdominal fluid… ____ and ____ should be _____ in the abdominal fluid than in the serum if rupture present
Creatinine and Potassium will be higher
