Kidney Disease Flashcards
What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Abnormal kidney function and/or structure.
- Often co-exists with other conditions e.g. CVD and diabetes.*
- Requires at least 2 samples (abnormal U&Es [eGFR/creatinine]) at least 90 days apart.*
What is moderate to severe CKD associated with?
Increased risk of CVD, acute kidney injury, falls, frailty and mortality.
What are markers of GFR?
Creatinine - on its own not very useful.
eGFR - based upon serum creatinine level, age, sex and race.
What is eGFR based upon?
Serum creatinine level.
Age.
Sex.
Race.
How if eGFR creatinine estimated?
Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI).
Reported as either eGFR >60, or if below 60 then a numerical value is given.
What are the stages of CKD?
What test investigates proteinuria?
Albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR).
What are the categories of ACR?
A1 is barely any albumin detectable.
Why is the albumin to creatinine ratio in urine calculated rather than the level of albumin in urine on its own?
Albumin presence on its own can just be an indication of concentrated urine, dehydration, post-exercise muscle breakdown.
Whereas, by calculating the ratio of albumin to creatinine means you can determine if there is more albumin than there should be in the urine or not.
What are the guidelines for management of anyone with acute kidney injury (AKI)?
They need to be monitored for at least 2-3 years after acute kidney injury even if serum creatinine has returned to baseline.
This is because people who have had AKI puts them at increased risk of CKD developing or progressing.
In severe cases of AKI, the patient may have an annual review lifelong.
What is an eGFRcystatinC?
A more accurate measure of eGFR using cystatinC rather than creatinine to confirm or rule out CKD in people with an eGFRcreatinine of 45-59ml/min/1.73m2 or no proteinuria or other marker of CKD.
Who is ACR and eGFRcreatinine testing offered to?
Diabetes.
Hypertension.
Acute kidney injury.
CVD.
Structural renal disease.
Multisystem diseases with potential kidney involvement, recurrent renal calculi or prostatic hypertrophy.
Family history of end-stage kidney disease or hereditary kidney disease.
Opportunistic detection of haematuria.
How is accelerated progression of CKD defined?
A sustained decrease in GFR of 25% or more and a change in GFR category within 12 months.
OR
A sustained decrease in GFR of 15ml/min/1.73m2 per year.
This is normally plotted on a graph in the patient’s notes.
What risk factors are associated with CKD progression?
CVD.
Proteinuria.
AKI.
Hypertension.
Diabetes.
Smoking.
African, African-Caribbean or Asian family origin.
Chronic used of NSAIDs.
Untreated urinary outflow tract obstruction.
What is the target range for BP in people with CKD without proteinuria?
<140/90mmHg.
What is the target range for BP in people with CKD with proteinuria (ACR >70mg/mmol) and/or diabetes?
<130/80mmHg.
What medications for prevention of associated risks should CKD patients be on?
Atorvastatin 20mg for primary/secondary prevention of CVD.
What are the causes of CKD?
Diabetes.
Hypertension.
Glomerular nephritides (primary/secondary).
Macro- and microvascular causes (renal artery stenosis; small vessel vasculitidis).
Tubulointerstitial.
Post-renal (obstruction: calculi, prostatic, bladder, urethral structure).
Main causes are in bold.
What are the clinical signs of CKD?
Anaemia - conjunctival and palmar pallor.
Weight loss.
Advanced uraemia:
- Lemon yellow.
- Uraemic frost (sweating out uraemic toxins visible on skin that smells of urea).
- Twitching.
- Encephalopathic flap.
- Confusion.
- Pericardial rub or effusion.
- Kussmaul breathing (respiratory compensation of metabolic acidosis).
What are the symptoms of uraemia in CKD?
Nausea & vomiting.
Anorexia.
Weight loss.
Fatigue.
Itch.
Altered taste.
Restless legs.
Muscle twitching.
Difficulties concentrating.
Confusion.
What are the symptoms of anaemia in CKD?
Fatigue.
Muscle weakness.
What are the symptoms of pain in CKD?
Bony.
Neuropathic.
Ischaemia.
Visceral.
What are the renal consequences of CKD?
Local pain/haemorrhage/infection.
Urinary haematuria/proteinuria (frothy urine).
Impaired salt and water handling.
Hypertension.
Electrolyte abnormalities.
Acid-base disturbance.
All leads to end-stage renal dysfunction.
What are the extra-renal consequences of CKD?
CVD.
Mineral and bone disease (CKD-MBD).
Anaemia.
Nutrition.
What are the treatments for end-stage renal disease?
Renal replacement therapies (haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, transplantation).
Conservative management.
At what eGFR does increased risk of CVD start?
eGFR <50mls/min.
When should you not use the CVD calculators to calculate risk of CVD?
In patients with renal disease, you should not use cardiovascular risk calculators because they significantly underestimate the risk.
How do you modify CV risk in people with CKD?
Smoking cessation.
Weight loss.
Aerobic exercise.
Limiting salt intake.
Control of hypertension.
Lipid-lowering therapy.
Consider aspirin for secondary prevention but there is a significantly increased risk of bleeding complications for patients on multiple anti-thrombotic agents.
What are the consequences of CKD mineral and bone disease?
Secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism.
Vascular calcification.
Bone pain.
Fractures.
CV events.
Lower life quality.
High morbidity and mortality.
What dietary advice is given to patients with CKD and mineral and bone disease?
Phosphate restriction (if high).
Consider:
- Salt reduction.
- Potassium restrictions (if persistently elevated).
- Fluid resuscitation to 1-1.5L/day if volume overload.
- Consider other dietary restrictions also (e.g. DM/coeliac/etc.).
What is renal anaemia?
Anaemia in CKD with an eGFR of <45 (less common with eGFRs >45; CKD 3a and above).
Diabetics are more at risk.
What is the target haemoglobin range in renal anaemia?
100-120g/L.
How can kidney disease present?
Asymptomatic.
Loin pain/urinary symptoms.
Haematuria:
- Microscopic.
- Painless macroscopic haematuria.
Proteinuria.
Hypertension:
- Asymptomatic.
- Accelerated.
Acute kidney injury.
Chronic kidney disease.
Nephrotic syndrome.
Nephritic syndrome.
What are the functions of the kidney?
Excretion of nitrogenous waste (urea).
Fluid balance.
Electrolyte balance.
Acid-base balance.
Vitamin D metabolism/ phosphate excretion.
Production of erythropoietin.
Drug excretion.
Barrier to loss of proteins.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with uraemia (pericarditis/encephalopathy/neuropathy/asterixis/gastritis)?
In excretion of nitrogenous waste (urea).
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with fluid retention and oedema?
Fluid balance.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with hyperkalaemia and arrhythmia?
Electrolyte balance.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with metabolic acidosis and Kussmaul’s respiration?
Acid-base balance.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with renal bone disease and vascular calcification?
Vitamin D metabolism/phosphate excretion.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with anaemia?
Production of erythropoietin.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with drug toxicity e.g. digoxin, gabapentin?
Drug excretion.
Where does the problem lie if a patient presents with proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome?
Problem with the barrier to loss of proteins.
Which renal function may or may not be impaired in association with significant loss of renal function?
Barrier to loss of proteins.
What is the presentation of accelerated hypertension?
Diastolic BP >120mmHg.
Papilloedema.
End-organ decompensation (encephalopathy, fits, cardiac failure, acute renal failure).
This is a medical emergency.
What is a urinary cast?
Formed by precipitation of Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein which is secreted by renal tubule cells.
It is seen more in environments favouring protein denaturation and precipitation (low urine flow, low pH).
What is seen on an ECG suggestive of hyperkalaemia?
Peak T-waves.
What is acute kidney injury?
Decline in GFR over hours/days/weeks with or without oliguria (<400ml urine output/day).
Can occur in a patient with normal or impaired baseline renal function.
What are the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome?
Triad of symptoms and signs fur to glomerular disease:
- Proteinuria >3g/day (mostly albumin, also globulins).
- Hypoalbuminaemia.
- Oedema (hypercholesterolaemia).
Often normal renal function.
What is nephritic syndrome?
Signs and symptoms of glomerulonephritis:
- Acute kidney injury.
- Oliguria.
- Oedema/fluid retention.
- Hypertension.
- Active urinary sediment (RBC’s, RBC and granular casts, proteinuria).
What is acute kidney injury (AKI)?
An abrupt (<48hrs) reduction in kidney function defined as:
- An absolute increase in serum creatinine by >26.4micromol/L.
- OR increase in creatinine by >50%.
- OR a reduction in urine output.
How is acute kidney injury categorised?
KDIGO staging classification 1-3.
What are the risk factors for acute kidney injury?
Older age.
CKD.
Diabetes.
Cardiac failure.
Liver failure.
Peripheral vascular disease.
Previous AKI.
Hypotension.
Hypovolaemia - blood loss.
Sepsis.
Deteriorating NEWS.
Recent contrast.
Exposure to certain medications.
What are the causes of acute kidney injury?
Pre-renal (functional).
Renal (structural).
Post-renal (obstruction).
What are the pre-renal causes of acute kidney injury?
Hypovolaemia (haemorrhage, volume depletion e.g. D&V, burns).
Hypotension (cardiogenic shock, distributive shock e.g. sepsis, anaphylaxis).
Renal hypoperfusion (NSAIDs, COX-2, ACEI, ARBs, hepatorenal syndrome).
What is pre-renal AKI?
Reversible volume depletion leading to oliguria and an increase in creatinine.
What is the volume of normal urine output?
0.5ml/kg/hour.
What is the volume of oliguria?
<0.5ml/kg/hour.
What is the effect of ACEI on GFR?
ACE inhibitors reduce Angiotensin II.
Angiotensin II mediates arteriolar vasoconstriction, therefore, increasing GFR.
ACEI, therefore, can cause a fall in GFR by causing efferent arteriolar vasodilation.
What is acute tubular necrosis?
Death of tubular epithelial cells that form the renal tubules of the kidneys.
Due to a combination of factors leading to decreased renal perfusion.
What are the causes of acute tubular necrosis?
Sepsis.
Severe dehydration.
Rhabdomyolysis.
Drug toxicity.
What is the treatment of pre-renal AKI?
Assess for hydration.
- Clinical observations (BP, HR, UO).
- JVP, capillary refill time, oedema.
- Pulmonary oedema.
Fluid challenge for hypovolaemia.
- Crystalloid (0.9% NaCl) or colloid (Gelofusin).
- Do NOT use 5% dextrose as the dextrose goes into the extravascular space so has no effect in increasing BP.
- Give bolus of fluid then reassess and repeat as necessary.
- If >1000mls in and no improvement, seek help.
What are the renal causes of AKI?
Diseases causing inflammation or damage to the cells causing AKI.
Vascular:
- Vasculitis, renovascular disease.
Glomerular:
- Glomerulonephritis.
Interstitial Nephritis:
- Drugs (e.g. penicillin, NSAIDS, PPIs).
- Infection (e.g. TB).
- Systemic (e.g. sarcoid).
Tubular injury:
- Ischaemia — prolonged renal hypoperfusion.
- Drugs (e.g. gentamicin).
- Contrast.
- Rhabdomyolysis.
What are the signs and symptoms of AKI?
Non-specific symptoms:
- Constitutional symptoms (anorexia, weight loss, fatigue, lethargy).
- Nausea & vomiting.
- Itch.
- Fluid overload.
- Oedema, SOB.
Signs:
- Fluid overload incl hypertension, oedema, pulmonary oedema, effusions (pleural & pulmonary).
- Uraemia incl itch, pericarditis.
- Oliguria.
What drugs are important when taking a drug history in someone with an AKI?
NSAIDs.
PPIs.
ACEI.
ARB.
Gentamicin.
What initial investigations would you do for someone with AKI?
U&Es
- Marker of renal function (Na, K, Ur, Cr).
- Look at the potassium, is it high?.
FBC & Coagulation Screen
- Abnormal clotting.
- Anaemia.
Urinalysis
- Haematoproteinuria.
USS
- ?Obstruction.
- ?Size (1 big kidney and 1 small kidney means potential renal artery stenosis).
Immunology
- ANA, ANCA, GBM (myeloma - will also have high calcium and anaemia in this case).
Protein electrophoresis & BJP.
What are the life-threatening complications of AKI?
Hyperkalaemia.
FLuid overload (pulmonary oedema).
Severe acidosis (pH <7.15).
Uraemic pericardial effusion.
Severe uraemia (>40).
What are the post-renal causes of AKI?
Stones.
Cancers.
Strictures.
Extrinsic pressure.
What is post-renal AKI?
Due to obstruction of urine flow leading to back pressure (hydronephrosis) and thus loss of concentrating ability.
What is the treatment of post-renal AKI?
Relieve obstruction (catheter, nephrostomy).
Refer to urology if ureteric stenting required.
What is hyperkalaemia associated with?
Cardiac Arrhythmias.
- Normal K = 3.5-5.0.*
- Hyperkalaemia = >5.5.*
- Life-threatening hyperkalaemia = >6.5.*
How do you assess hyperkalaemia?
ECG.
Muscle weakness.