GU Flashcards
What are renal stones also known as?
Nephrolithiasis
What is the epidemiology of kidney stones?
- 30-60 year olds
- More common in male
What are the risk factors for developing kidney stones?
- Dehydration
- Previous kidney stones
- Stone forming foods
- Metabolic
- Systemic disease: Crohn’s disease (calcium oxalate stones)
- Metabolic:hypercalcaemia, hyperparathyroidism, hypercalciuria (calcium stones)
- Loop diuretics
What are some stone forming foods?
- Chocolate
- Spinach
- Nuts
- Tea
What are the most common types of kidney stones?
Calcium-based stones they account for 80%. Having a raised serum calcium and low urine output are key risk factors for calcium collecting into a stone
What are the two types of calcium stone?
- Calcium oxalate (most common) results in a black or dark coloured stone.
- Calcium phosphate- results in a dirty white colour stone
What are some other types of kidney stones?
-
Uric acid: red-brown in colour and not visible under an x-ray.
Risk factors: food high in purines e.g. shellfish, anchovies, red meat or organ meat, as uric acid is a breakdown product of purine - Struvite- produced by bacteria (Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Morganella morganii) therefore are associated with infection. Forms dirty white stones visible on X-ray.
- Cystine – associated with cystinuria, an autosomal recessive disease form yellow or light pink coloured stones not visible on x-ray
What causes kidney stones?
When solutes in the urine precipitate out and crystalline. Urine is a combination of solvent and solutes
If solvent is low (dehydration) or there are high levels of solute (hypercalcaemia) then it is more likely a kidney stone will form.
What substances can prevent the formation of kidney stones?
Magnesium and citrates inhibit crystal growth
What causes struvite stones to form?
Bacteria release enzyme urase which causes ammonia to form. Ammonia makes urine more alkaline so favours the precipitation of phosphate, magnesium and ammonium.
These form jagged crystals called Staghorns
What is the cause of the pain associated with kidney stones?
- The peristaltic action of the collecting duct against the stone.
- Pain is worse at the uteropelvic junction and down the ureter pain subsides once stone gets to the bladder
What are the signs of kidney stones?
- Flank/ renal angle tenderness
- Fever (if sepsis)
What are the symptoms of renal stones?
- Acute severe flank pain: loin to groin pain that lasts minuets to hours . Fluctuating pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Haematuria
- reduced urine output
What are some first-line investigations for renal stones?
- Urine dipstick can show blood
- FBC check kidney function and calcium levels
- X-ray can show calcium based stones but not uric
What is the gold standard test for renal stones?
- Non contrast CT scan of kidney, ureters and bladder (CT KUB) .
Should be performed within 14 hours of admission
May use ultrasound if radiation needs to be avoided
What is the best form of pain relief for renal stones?
- NSAIDs are typically used. IM diclofenac is most commonly used. Opiates are typically used as not good
What is the conservative/medical treatment for renal stones?
- Watchful waiting is usually used in stones less than 5mm, as there is a 50-80% chance they will pass without any interventions. It
- Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker that can be used to help passage of stones not indicated for renal more for ureteric
What are the surgical treatments for renal stones?
ESWL involves an external machine that generates shock waves and directs them at the stone under x-ray guidance. The shockwaves break the stone into smaller parts to make them easier to pass.
Ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy:
A camera is inserted via the urethra, bladder and ureter, and the stone is identified. It is then broken up using targeted lasers, making the smaller parts easier to pass.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL):
PCNL is performed in theatres under a general anaesthetic. A nephoscopy (small camera on a stick) is inserted via a small incision at the patient’s back. The scope is inserted through the kidney to assess the ureter. Stones can be broken into smaller pieces and removed. A nephrostomy tube may be left in place after the procedure to help drain the kidney.
What is the advice for a patient suffering from recurrent renal stones?
- Increase oral fluids
- Reduce salt intake
- Reduce oxalate/urate rich food intake
- Avoid carbonated drinks
- Add lemon juice to waters
What medications can be used to reduce the risk of renal stone formation?
Potassium citrate in patients with calcium oxalate stones and raised urinary calcium
Thiazide diuretics (e.g., indapamide) in patients with calcium oxalate stones and raised urinary calcium
What are the complications of renal stones?
- Obstruction and hydronephrosis: acute kidney injury and renal failure
- Urosepsis: an infected, obstructing stone is a urological emergency and requires urgent decompression
What is acute kidney injury?
A sudden decline in renal function over a few days. It is diagnosed by measuring serum creatinine
What is the RIFLE criteria for classifying AKI?
- RIF describes the three levels of renal dysfunction and two outcome measures (LE). These criteria are used to indicate the increasing degree of renal damage and have a predictive value for mortality.
R- Risk
I- Injury
F- failure
L-loss
E- end-stage renal disease
What is KDIGO?
Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes it divides AKI into 3 stages
Stage 1: serum creatinine greater than 26.5 (1.5-1.9 times baseline) with urine output less than 0.5ml for 6-12 hours
Stage 2: serum creatinine 2-2.9 times the baseline and less than 0.5ml/kg for 12 hours
Stage 3: serum creatinine 3 times the baseline and less than 0.3ml/kg of urine for greater than 12 hours
What are the NICE criteria for diagnosing an AKI?
Rise in creatinine of ≥ 25 micromol/L in 48 hours
Rise in creatinine of ≥ 50% in 7 days
Urine output of < 0.5ml/kg/hour for > 6 hours
What is the pre-renal cause of AKI?
- Hypoperfusion due to hypovolaemia. This causes ischaemia of the the renal parenchyma. Prolonged ischaemia can lead to intrinsic damage
- Heart failure
- Dehydration
- Hypotension
What are the intrinsic renal causes of an AKI?
- Vascular: can be due to atherosclerotic disease and dissections. Also can be caused by renal artery stenosis
- Glomerular: may be primary or secondary. Can lead to nephritic or nephrotic syndrome
- Tubulo-intestinal: usually due to acute tubular necrosis or acute interstitial nephritis that can occur secondary to medications (e.g. NSAIDs, ACE inhibitors, PPI’s, penicillin’s) and infections.
What are the 3 diseases most linked to renal causes of an AKI?
Intrinsic disease in the kidney is leading to reduced filtration of blood. It may be due to:
Glomerulonephritis
Interstitial nephritis
Acute tubular necrosis
What is the post renal cause of an AKI?
- Obstruction- due to urinary stones, malignancy or bladder neck obstruction e.g., benign prostate hyperplasia
What are the risk factors for developing an AKI?
- Chronic kidney disease
- Heart failure
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
- Older age (above 65 years)
- Cognitive impairment
- Nephrotoxic medications such as NSAIDS and ACE inhibitors
- Use of a contrast medium such as during CT scans
What are the signs and symptoms of pre-renal AKI?
- Reduced capillary refill time
- Reduced skin turgor
- Thirst
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia
- Hypotension
- Reduced urine output
What are the signs and symptoms of a vascular AKI?
- Arterial hypertension and peripheral oedema
What are the signs and symptoms of nephrotic syndrome AKI?
- Heavy proteinuria
- Hypoalbuminemia
- Oedema
What are the signs and symptoms of Nephritic syndrome AKI?
- Haematuria
- Proteinuria
- Oliguria
- Hypertension
What are the signs and symptoms of Tubulo-intestinal disease AKI?
- Arthralgia (joint pain)
- Rashes
- Fever
What is the most useful investigation for investigating an AKI?
Urinalysis for protein, blood, leucocytes, nitrites and glucose.
- Leucocytes and nitrites suggest infection
- Protein and blood suggest acute nephritis (but can be positive in infection)
- Glucose suggests diabetes
What other investigations might you perform for an AKI?
- Vasculitis screen(e.g. ANCA, ANA)
- Hepatitis screen
- Blood gas
- LFT
What is the management for AKI?
- Regular monitoring
- Cease nephrotoxic drugs
- IV fluids for hypovolaemia
- Relieve obstruction
What is the major complication of an AKI and how would ypu treat it?
Hyperkalaemia as potassium is not being removed from the blood.
Treat first with calcium gluconate to protect the heart then use insulin and dextrose. Salbutamol can also be used to drive potassium into cells
What are some other complications of an AKI?
- Fluid overload which can cause heart failure and oedema
- Metabolic acidosis
- Uraemia can lead to Encephalopathy or Pericarditis
What is the mnemonic for assessment and management of AKI?
RENAL DRS26
R- Record baseline creatinine
E- Exclude obstruction
N- Nephrotoxic drugs stopped
A- Asses fluid status
L- Losses+/-
D- Dipstick
R- review medications
S- Screen
26- Creatinine rise for AKI diagnosis of higher than 26
What is chronic kidney disease?
A progressive deterioration in renal function over at least 3 months
What are the most common causes of CKD?
- Hypertension (second most common)
- Diabetes (most common)
What are some other causes of CKD?
- Systemic disease e.g., Rheumatoid arthritis
- Infections (HIV)
- Medications, PPI, ACE inhibitor, NSAIDs, lithium
- Toxins (in smoking)
- Age-related decline
- Glomerulonephritis
- Polycystic kidney disease
How does hypertension cause CKD?
- Walls of arteries thicken in order to withstand higher pressure resulting in a narrow lumen
- This means less blood is delivered to the kidney resulting in ischaemic injury
- This causes the infiltration of immune cells that secrete TGF-b1. This growth factor transforms mesangial cells back to more immature stem ell which diminishes their ability to filter the blood
How does diabetes cause CKD?
- Excess glucose in the blood starts sticking to proteins (non-enzymatic glycation).
- This particularly affects the efferent arteriole and causes it to get stiff and narrow. This creates an obstruction and makes it difficult for the blood to leave the glomerulus.
- Over many years this process dimishes the nephrons ability to filter blood
What are the signs of CKD?
- Hypertension
- Fluid overload
- Uraemic sallow: yellow or pale brown colour of skin
- Uraemic frost: urea crystals can deposit in the skin
- Pallor
- Evidence of underlying cause
What are the symptoms of CKD?
- Pruritis
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Oedema
- Muscle cramps
What are the investigations for CKD?
- Estimated GFR: can be checked using U&E blood test. Two tests required 3 months apart
- Proteinuria: can be checked using a urine albumin:creatinine ratio. A result of greater than 3mg/mmol is significant
- Haematuria: can be checked using a urine dipstick
- Renal ultrasound
What can be used to stage CKD?
G score and A score
What is the G score?
G score is based of eGFR
G1: eGFR>90
G2: eGFR: 60-89
G3a: eGFR: 45-59
G3b: eGFR: 30-44
G4: eGFR: 15-29
G5: eGFR<15 known as end-stage renal failure
What is the A score?
Based off the albumin:creatinine ratio:
A1: <3
A2: 3-30
A3: >30
What score would indicate a paitient does not have CKD?
A1 combined with G1 or G2
What is the management for CKD?
Slowing the progression of the disease
Optimise diabetic control
Optimise hypertensive control
Treat glomerulonephritis
Reducing the risk of complications
Exercise, maintain a healthy weight and stop smoking
Special dietary advice about phosphate, sodium, potassium and water intake
Offer atorvastatin 20mg for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
What are the complications of CKD?
- Renal bone disease
- Anaemia
- Cardiovascular- hypertension, hypercholesterolemia , heart failure due to fluid overload and anaemia
How does CKD cause renal bone disease?
- There is high serum phosphate as there is reduced phosphate excretion. There is also a low amount of active vitamin D as it is activated in the kidneys
- Therefore there is secondary hyperparathyroidism as a result which leads to an increase in osteoclast activity
What are the 3 types of renal bone disease?
- Osteomalacia: occurs due to increased turnover of bones without calcium supply
- Osteosclerosis: osteoblasts respond to increase osteoclast activity and make new tissue but it is poorly mineralised due to the lack of calcium
- Osteoporosis
Osteomalacia (softening of bones)
Osteosclerosis (hardening of bones)
Osteoporosis (brittle bones)
What is the management of renal bone disease?
- Supplements of active forms of Vit D. (alfacalcidol and calcitriol)
- Low phosphate diet
- Bisphosphonates can be used to treat osteoporosis
How does CKD cause anaemia?
- Erythropoietin is used to stimulate the production of RBC. In CKD there is reduced secretion of erythropoietin.
- Anaemia caused by this can be treated by giving exogenous erythropoietin.
Blood transfusions should be limited as they can sensitise the immune system (“allosensitisation”) so that transplanted organs are more likely to be rejected
What is pyelonephritis?
- Upper urinary tract infection: acute inflammation of the renal pelvis (join between kidney and ureter) and parenchyma
What is the epidemiology of Acute pyelonephritis?
- Affects females under 35
- Unusual in men
Why are UTI’s more common in women?
The urethra is much shorter in women so it makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder and kidneys
What causes Acute pyelonephritis?
Can be spread via ascending infections or hematogenous spread
Common species include:
- E.coli (most common)
- Klebsiella
- Enterobacter
- Staphylococcus
What are the risk factors for Acute pyelonephritis?
- Sexual intercourse
- Catheter
- Diabetes
- Pregnancy
- Renal stones
Describe the pathophysiology of Acute pyelonephritis?
- Most often caused by ascending infection. Bacteria will start by colonising the urethra and bladder and make their way up to the kidney
- Risk of lower UTI transferring to an upper UTI is increased by vesicoureteral reflux where urine is allowed to move back up the urinary tract due to a failure in the vesicoureteral orifice
What are the signs of Acute pyelonephritis?
- Tender loin on examination
- Pain on palpation of renal angle
Symptoms will often be present on both sides as both kidneys are affected
What are the symptoms of Acute pyelonephritis?
- Fever
- Loin to groin pain
- Dysuria (painful to piss) and urinary frequency
- Haematuria
- Cloudy foul smelling urine
What can help to distinguish Acute pyelonephritis from a lower tract UTI?
- Fever
- Loin/back pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Renal angle tenderness
What are the investigations for Acute pyelonephritis?
- Nitrites as gram negative bacteria such as E.coli and Klebsiella breakdown nitrates into nitrites
- Leukocyte esterase on urine dipstick indicates an infection
Nitrites are better indication. But leukocyte esterase plus haematuria indicates infection
What is the gold standard test for Acute pyelonephritis?
- Mid-stream urine MCS- white blood cell in the urine
What is the treatment for Acute pyelonephritis?
- Broad spectrum antibiotics (e.g. co-amoxiclav) until culture and sensitivities are available
- Hydration
What are the complications of Acute pyelonephritis?
- Renal abscess
- Recurrent infections
- Chronic pyelonephritis- which can leads to the scaring of renal tissue which can lead to AKI and CKD
- Papillary necrosis
What is cystitis?
A lower UTI that involves the bladder
What are the risk factors of cystitis?
- Post-menopause the absence of oestrogen increases the risk
- Sexual intercourse
- Diabetes
- Poor bladder emptying- allows the bacteria to adhere and colonise the bladder
What are the causes of cystitis?
- An inflamed bladder is usually the result of a bacterial infection, but also can result from fungal infections, chemical irritants, foreign bodies like kidney stones, as well as trauma.
- Lower UTIs are almost always caused by an ascending infection, where bacteria typically moves from the rectal area to the urethra and then migrate up the urethra and into the bladder.
- On rare occasions, a descending infection can happen as well where bacteria starts in the blood or lymph and then goes to the kidney and makes its way down to the bladder and urethra.
What are the signs of cystitis?
Suprapubic tenderness
What are the symptoms of cystitis?
- Dysuria
- Frequency
- Urgency
- Nocturia
- changes in appearance
- Suprapubic discomfort
What is the gold standard test for cystitis?
-
Mid-stream urine microscopy, culture and sensitivity (MC&S):
- The most specific and sensitive test; bacteria, WBCs, +/- RBCs expected
What are the treatments for non-pregnant women with cystitis/Lower UTI
Treatment may be delayed if symptoms are mild
- First line would be 3 days of nitrofurantoin avoided in patients with CKD or trimethoprim
- Second line Antibiotic course for 3 days -pivmacillinam or fosfomycin single-dose sachet
What are the treatments for pregnant women/catheter related/men with cystitis/Lower UTI?
- First line: Antibiotic course for 7 days - nitrofurantoin avoid in third trimester. Trimethoprim is avoided in first trimester as it increases the risk of neural tube defects
- Second line: Antibiotic course for 7 days - amoxicillin or cefalexin
What are the complications of UTIs in pFregnancy?
- Pre-term delivery
- Low-birthweight
What is prostatitis?
A severe infection involving the prostate that may cause significant systemic upset
What are some causes of prostatitis?
- E.coli most common
- STI’s
- Catheter
- Disseminated infections- secondary to S.aureus due to metastatic spread
What are the signs of prostatitis?
- Tender, hot swollen prostate (on digital rectal exam)
- Palpable bladder
- Tachycardia
- Pyrexia
What are the symptoms of prostatitis?
- Dysuria
- Frequency and retention
- Straining
- Back pain
- Fever
- Perineal, rectal or pelvic pain
What are the investigations for prostatitis?
- Digital rectal exam
- Urine dipstick
- MSU, semen and blood culture
What is the treatment for prostatitis?
First line- Oral ciprofloxacinor ofloxacin
Second line- Oral levofloxacin or co-trimoxazole
What are the complications of prostatitis?
- Acute urinary retention
- Epididymitis
- Chronic prostatitis
- Prostatic abscess
How would you classify chronic prostatitis?
The four glass (or two glass) test: pre- and post- prostatic massage.
- Voided bladder 1 (VB1):first 10ml of urine passed, represents urethra.
- Voided bladder 2 (VB2):second 10ml of urine passed, represents bladder.
- Expressed prostatic secretions (EPS):first 10ml of urine passed, represents urethra.
- Voided bladder 3 (VB3):first 10ml of urine passed, after EPS.
The two glass test, just involving EPS and VB3 is commonly used.
I:Acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP)
II:Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP)
III:Chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CPPS)
IIIA:Inflammatory CPPS (leucocytes in semen/EPS/VB3)
IIIB:Non-inflammatory CPPS (no leucocytesin semen/EPS/VB3)
IV:Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis (histological prostatitis)
What is Urethritis?
Urethral inflammation due to infectious or non-infectious causes. It is primarily a sexually acquired disease!
What is the most common STI in young people?
Chlamydia (louis has this)
this is slander and i do not stand for it
What are the two categories that urethritis infections are divided into?
Gonococcal and non-gonococcal
What is the cause of gonococcal Urethritis?
Neisseria gonorrhea
What are the common causes of NGU?
- Chlamydia trachomatis (most common accounts for up to 50%)
- Mycoplasma genitalium
What are some rare causes of NGU?
- Trichomonas vaginalis
- Yeasts
- Herpes simplex virus
- Adenovirus
- Other bacteria such as streptococci, mycobacteria, or anaerobes.
What are some non-infective causes of urethritis?
- Trauma
- Irritation
- Urinary calculi (in english we call these kidney stones why use silly words)
What are the risk factors for getting urethritis?
- Male to male sex
- Unprotected sex
- multiple sexual partners
What are the common symptoms of urethritis?
- Urethral discharge
- Urethral irritation/itching
- Dysuria
- Penile discomfort
- Skin lesions
What are the investigations for urethritis?
- Nucleic acid amplification test
- Microscopy of gram-stained smears of genital secretions
- Culture of urethral discharge
- Urine dipstick to rule out UTI
What is the management for chlamydia?
- Oral azithromycin or oral doxycycline
- If pregnant give erythromycin
What is the management for gonorrhoea?
- IM ceftriaxone with oral azithromycin
Also partner notification and contact tracing
What are the complications of urethritis
- Reactive arthritis
- Gonococcal conjunctivitis
- Periurethral abscess
- Urethral stricture or fistula
- Epididymitis
- Prostatitis
- Penile lymphangitis
What is epididymo-Orchitis?
Inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis) and inflammation of the testicle (orchitis)
What are the common causes of Epididymo-Orchitis in sexually active men?
STIs e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria Gonorrhoea and mycoplasma genitalium
What are the common causes of Epididymo-Orchitis in older patitents?
- E.coli and proteus sp.
- Can also be caused by TB and viral infections such as mumps
What are the signs of Epididymo-Orchitis?
- Tenderness and palpable swelling
- Prehn’s sign positive: pain is relieved with lifting the testicle, negative in testicular torsion
- Cremasteric reflex preserved- unlike testicular torsion
What are the symptoms of Epididymo-Orchitis?
-
Unilateral tender, red, and swollen testicle
- Pain develops over a few days
- Lower urinary tract symptoms e.g. dysuria
- Urethral discharge: may and or may not be present
What are the investigations for Epididymo-Orchitis?
- Urinalysis
- Nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)
- Swab of urethral secretions
What is the treatment for enteric organism causes of Epididymo-Orchitis?
- Fluoroquinolone e.g., ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin
What are the complications of Epididymo-Orchitis?
- Musculoskeletal: reactive arthritis
- Infective: disseminated infection secondary to gonorrhoea
What are the complications of Epididymo-Orchitis?
- Musculoskeletal: reactive arthritis
- Infective: disseminated infection secondary to gonorrhoea
- Infertility
- Urological:epidydimal obstruction and scarring secondary to poorly treated infection
What is nephritic syndrome?
- Nephritic syndrome or acute nephritic syndrome refers to a group of symptoms, not a diagnosis.
- They fit a clinical picture of having inflammation of their kidney and it does not represent a specific diagnosis or give the underlying cause. -
What are the features of nephritic syndrome?
Haematuria
Oliguria
Proteinuria
Fluid retention
What is Nephrotic syndrome?
Refers to a group of symptoms without specifying the underlying cause. Therefore, nephrotic syndrome is not a disease, but is a way of saying “the patient has these symptoms”
What criteria must a patient fulfil to be diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome?
- Peripheral oedema
- Proteinuria
- Serum albumin less than 25g/L
- Hypercholesterolemia
What is IgA nephropathy?
Defined by the presence of dominant or co-dominant mesangial IgA immune deposits, often accompanied by C3 and IgG. Also called Berger’s disease (poor guy had the name taken away from him for this boring one)
nephritic syndrome condition
What is the most common age to be diagnosed with IgA nephropathy?
80% diagnosed between 16 and 35 and more common in Asian population
What causes IgA nephropathy?
- Occurs when abnormal IgA antibodies are produced by the body usually after a respiratory or GI tract infection
- This causes the body to recognise them as foreign producing IgG antibodies to target them. This immune complexes travel in the blood stream and get trapped in the kidneys