Nephrology Flashcards
Water and electrolytes are taken in by food and water and lost in urine and sweat. What other, insensible water losses are there?
500ml lost by expiration per day
What percentage of an adult’s body weight is water?
50-60%
In the healthy 70kg male, total body water is approx. how many litres?
42L
What are the three major body fluid compartments?
Intracellular, extracellular and plasma
Which is the largest of the body fluid compartments?
Intracellular
Approx. 28L (35% of lean body weight)
Describe the extracellular fluid compartment
The extracellular fluid compartment comprises of the interstitial fluid that bathes the cells (9.4L/12% of body weight)
What is osmotic pressure?
The primary determinant of the distribution of water among the three major compartments
What is osmolality?
Defined as the number of osmoles per KILOGRAM of solution
Measurement of the osmotic concentration
What is osmolarity?
Defined as the number of osmoles per LITRE of solution
What electrolyte predominates in the intracellular compartment?
Potassium
What electrolytes predominates in the interstitial fluid?
Sodium salts
What molecules determine the oncotic pressure within the plasma?
Proteins
What are the daily water requirements?
25-30ml/kg/day
What are the daily requirements for sodium, potassium and chloride?
1mmol/kg/day
What are the daily requirements for glucose?
50-100 grams/day
What two forces balance to maintain plasma within the vasculature?
Hydrostatic pressure (forcing plasma into the interstitium)
Oncotic pressure (pressure exerted by plasma proteins to retain fluid in the vasculature)
What is the definition of oedema?
Increase in the interstitial fluids due to one of a number of different aetiologies
Outline some causes of oedema
Increased hydrostatic pressure e.g. sodium and water retention in cardiac failure
Reduced oncotic pressure e.g. as a result of nephrotic syndrome with hypoalbuminaemia
Obstruction to lymphatic flow
Increased permeability of the blood vessel wall e.g. local inflammation
What are crystalloids?
Sodium chloride 0.9% containing low molecular weight salts or sugars that dissolve completely in water and pass freely between intravascular and interstitial compartments
What are colloids?
E.g. dextran 70, gelatin
Contain larger molecular substances and remain for a longer period in the intravascular space than crystalloids
What are colloids used for?
Used to expand circulating volume in haemorrhage, burns and sometimes septicaemia
What side effects may accompany administration of colloids?
Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and a transient increase in bleeding time
What clinical observations may indicate a patient is ‘dry’ (hypovolaemic)?
Skin turgor, capillary refill, jugular venous pressure, pulse, lying and standing blood pressure
Why should urine output not be considered alone in the assessment of fluid balance post-operatively?
Post-operatively there is a physiological oliguria and an impaired ability of the kidneys to dilute urine; increasing the risk of dilutional hyponatraemia
Before the prescription of IV fluids, clinical assessment of what needs to be undertaken?
Establish fluid and electrolyte needs
Identify the type of fluid needed
Does the patient need resuscitation, maintenance etc
Work out the appropriate rate of administration
Regulation of the extracellular volume is determined by the tight control of what electrolyte in particular?
Sodium
What is the effective arterial blood volume (EABV)?
The fullness of the vasculature; determines the control of renal sodium and water excretion
What two types of volume receptors detect changes in the effective arterial blood volume?
Extrarenal: in the large vessels near the heart
Intrarenal: in the afferent renal arteriole
Intrarenal volume receptors have direct control over what hormonal system?
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)
What hormones counteract the effects of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system?
Atrial natriuretic peptide - increases sodium excretion
Increased extracellular volume is a result of increased sodium retention/impaired excretion by the kidneys. Outline the symptoms.
Interstitial volume overload - ankle oedema, pulomary oedema, pleural effusion and ascites
Intravascular volume overload - raised JVP, cardiomegaly and a raised arterial pressure
List some aetiologies of extracellular volume expansion
Cardiac failure
Cirrhosis
Nephrotic syndrome
Sodium retention
How does cirrhosis lead to extracellular volume expansion?
Complex pathophysiology leading to vasodilation and under perfusion of the volume receptors.
Hypoalbuminaemia may contribute
List some common causes of decreased extracellular volume?
Haemorrhage
Plasma loss in burns
Pathological diuresis
Signs of volume depletion may occur in a patient with a normal volume. Give an example of when this occurs?
Sepsis (due to vasodilation and increased capillary wall permeability)
What is the most potent class of diuretics? Give an example
Loop diuretics e.g. furosemide
What is the mechanism of action of loop diuretics?
Reduce Na+/Cl- reabsorption from the ascending loop of Henle in the glomeruli
What is the mechanism of action of thiazide diuretics? Give an example
Reduced Na+ reabsorption at the distal convoluted tubule of the glomeruli
Bendroflumethiazide
Spironolactone is an example of what class of diuretics?
Aldosterone antagonists
Give an example of a potassium-sparing diuretic
Amiloride
Give common signs and symptoms of volume depletion
Symptoms - thirst, nausea, dizziness (postural)
Signs - loss of skin tugor, peripheral vasoconstriction, tachycardia, low JVP, postural hypotension
What are the dangers of severe volume depletion?
Impaired cerebral perfusion leading to confusion and eventual coma
What device allows the measurement of the central venous pressure?
Central venous line
If the kidneys are working well, what is the expected normal value of urinary sodium?
<20mmol/L
How is circulating volume depletion treated?
Outline the specific treatments for haemorrhage, loss of plasma, loss of sodium/water and loss of water alone
Overall principle: Replace what is lost.
Haemorrhage - initial treatment with crystalloid/colloid until packed red cells are available
Loss of plasma (burns/peritonitis) - replace with human plasma/colloid
Loss of sodium and water (vomiting/diarrhoea) - saline or glucose electrolyte solutions
Loss of water - water w. 5% glucose solution to avoid osmotic lysis of red cells
What is the normal value for plasma osmolality?
285-300 mosmol/kg
What receptors sense changes in plasma osmolality? Where are they located?
Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus
What mechanisms does the hypothalamus activate on detection of a raised osmolality?
Thirst mechanism and release of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)
What is the action of anti-diuretic hormone?
Increases renal reabsorption of water from the collecting ducts
What non-osmotic stimuli may also cause secretion of ADH?
Hypovolaemia
Stress (surgery/trauma)
Nausea
What is the other name for the hormone ADH?
Vasopressin
What physiological phenomena occurs at a plasma osmolality of less than 275 mosmol/kg?
Complete suppression of ADH secretion
What is the definition of hyponatraemia?
Reflects too much water in relation to sodium.
Serum sodium < 135 mmol/L
List four aetiologies of hyponatraemia
- Water excess (dilutional hyponatraemia)
- Salt loss e.g. diarrhoea
- Pseudohyponatraeia (hyperlipidaemia causing spuriously low sodium - no treatment required)
- Artefactual hyponatraemia - blood sample taken from an arm where a low sodium drip is being infused e.g. glucose
What is the essential distinction a clinician must make when assessing the hyponatraemia patient?
Is the patient either:
Hypovolaemia
Euvolaemic
Hypervolaemic
How is hypovolaemic hyponatraemia treated?
Restoration of extracellular volume crystalloids or colloids normalises serum sodium
What is the most common cause of hypovolaemia hyponatraemia?
Diuretics over-use
What is the most common cause of dilutional hyponatraemia (hypovolaemic)?
Overuse of 5% glucose in post-operative patients
What three pathologies often precipitate dilutional hyponatraemia?
Severe cardiac failure, cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome
What are the consequences of not correcting dilutional hyponatraemia?
Due to the movement of water into brain cells (cerebral oedema)
Headache, confusion, convulsions and coma
How is dilutional hyponatraemia managed?
Most cases managed by water restriction
Review of diuretic treatment may be indicated
Vasopressin V2 receptor antagonists e.g. tolvaptan produces free water diuresis
What is central pontine myelinolysis?
Over-rapid correction of sodium concentration leading to severe neurological damage causing quadriparesis, respiratory arrest, pseudobulbar palsy, mutism, seizure
What is the most common cause of hypernatraemia?
Reduced water intake or water loss in excess of sodium
What are the clinical features of hypernatraemia?
Nausea, vomiting, confusion
Serum levels of potassium are regulated by what three factors?
- Uptake of K+ into cells
- Renal excretion - mainly controlled by aldosterone
- Extrarenal losses e.g. gastrointestinal
What is the definition of hypokalaemia?
Serum potassium concentration of <3.5 mmol/L