clinical application: azotaemia and urinalysis WS

Question 1

define azotaemia

Answer 1

excess of urea/creatinine and other nitrogenous wastes in the blood as a result of decreased renal excretion

Question 2

why is azotemia a useful marker in practice what are its limits

Answer 2

• indicates issues with GFR
• indicates there is a problem with the kidneys filtering nitrogenous waste or products of muscle metabolism
• limits: with renal urea and creatinine will only increase after there is 70% loss of function of kidney (by this point already advanced)

Question 3

what test or markers other than azotemia are useful in practice for testing renal function

Answer 3

SDMA and FGF 23

Question 4

what is pre renal azotaemia

Answer 4

before the kidneys
azotemia occurs because of systemic factors that result in inadepquate renal perfusion NOT the ability of the kidneys to work

Question 5

what is renal azotaemia

Answer 5

is attributed to reduced function of the kidneys themselves. there are lots of causes, some are tmeporary, others severe and permanent but they are all attributred to pathology within the renal strucure and/or nephrons

Question 6

what is post renal azotemia

Answer 6

is caused by a problem after the kidneys meaning in the ureters, bladder or urethra. there are a few causes but the easiest to imagine is any kind of bloakcage or rupture in the system

Question 7

Answer 7