Nephrology Flashcards
First Aid and NEJM Knowledge+
Rate by which to raise Na in acute vs. chronic symptomatic hyponatremia
Acute symptomatic (seizing!?): raise until symptoms resolve 1-2 mEq/L/hr
Chronic symptomatic: slower raise, 0.5-1.0 mEq/L/hr
Clinical features of hyponatremia
Symptoms typically correlate to rate and severity of decline
Seizure, coma
AMS- confusion, lethargy
Nausea/vomiting
Overcorrection of hyponatremia raises risk for what?
Overcorrecting hyponatremia (raising blood Na too fast- drawing water out of brain) => CPM (central pontine myelinolysis)
Do not correct Na by more than 10-12 mEq/L over 24 hrs
Overcorrection of hypernatremia raises risk for what?
Cerebral edema- drop sodium fast, water goes into brain
Main three causes of SIADH
- CNS pathology: SAH, subdural, meningitis, tumor, CVA
- Pulmonary: SCLC, Tb, pneumonia
- Drugs: typically psychotropic meds (TCAs, haldol, SSRIs)
Urine osmolality in SIADH vs. psychogenic polydipsia
SIADH- high urine osms (over 100, UNa over 20) b/c body holding onto water
Psychogenic polydipsia- low urine osms (below 50) b/c body trying to get rid of as much water as possible
Prototypical clinical vignette for hypernatremia
Hypernatremia- due to hypovolemia (almost always from free water deficit and not due to high salt)
Old demented bedridden pt who can’t get up and respond to thirst reflex
When to think of diabetes insipidus in hypernatremic pt
DI = either not producing (central) or not responding to (nephrogenic) ADH => have dilute urine despite hypernatremia
So when hypernatremic with Uosm low consider DI
Name a cause of hypervolemic hypernatremia
Rare that hypernatremia is in s/o hypervolemia- consider primary hyperaldosteronism = mineralocorticoid excess (aldo prompts holding onto Na)
Name causes of hyperkalemia due to extracellular K+ shift
K+ pushed out of cells metabolic acidosis (ex: DKA) tumor lysis rhabdo digitalis overdose
EKG changes of mild, moderate, severe hyperkalemia
Mild- normal, peaked T-waves
Moderate- (pulling the string)- prolonged QRS, flattened P-waves
Severe- VF
Mechanism of type I (distal) RTA
Distal RTA due to inability to secrete acid load in distal part of nephron (collecting duct)
Most commonly due to reduced activity of H/K ATPase that secretes H+ ions => also results in hypokalemia (b/c K left in urine)
Mechanism of type II (proximal) RTA
Proximal inability to reabsorb bicarb => lose bicarb in urine
2 main etiologies of non-anion gap metabolic acidosis
(a) How to distinguish
Non-anion gap metabolic acidosis due to loss of bicarb containing solutions (from kidneys (type II RTA) or GI (diarrhea)) or inability to excrete H+ (type I RTA)
- Diarrhea
- RTA
(a) Clinically (duh) and also by urine anion gap
if positive urine AG then RTA present
Type I (distal) RTA
(a) Clinical distinguishing feature
Type I RTA = inability to secrete H+ ions into urine => hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis
(a) often presents w/ recurrent kidney stones or hypercalciuria
- acidemia increases CaPO4 release from bone during buffering
- alkaline urine promotes stone formation
Causes of type II (proximal) RTA
Proximal RTA (type II) = bicarb wasting- means that the bicarb filtered can’t be reabsorbed in the proximal tubule
Causes
M-protein disorders: multiple myeloma, amyloid
Heavy metal poisoning: Pb, Cu
Acetazolamide
Liddle syndrome
Liddle syndrome = psudeohyperparathyroidism- autosomal dominant mutation in ENac that mimics high aldo b/c increased Na reabsorption and decreased K reabsorption =>
refractory HTN and hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis
Bartter’s vs. Gitelman’s syndrome
Both autosomal recessive genetic defects that cause hypokalemia and mimic loop diuretic (Barter’s) and thiazide diuretic (Gitelman’s) use
Differentiate by urine Ca
Bartter’s- high urine Ca
Gitelman’s- low urine Ca
Name some etiologies of renal K+ loss (hypokalemia due to something at level of kidney)
Diuresis Mineralocorticoid excess: licorice, Hyperaldo, Cushing's disease- at high levels cortisol has mineralocorticoid properties Liddle syndrome (pseudohyperaldo due to genetic ENac mutation)
Etiologies of type I RTA
Type I (distal) RTA = inability of kidney to secrete acid in collecting duct
Main causes
- Sjogrens
- amphotericin