Renal Flashcards
UREA NITROGEN
-Major nitrogen-containing metabolic product of protein catabolism
-Primarily synthesized by hepatocytes
-Freely filtered by glomeruli, reabsorbed (amount varies) by tubules
Urea is synthesized mostly in the ___ as a by-product of the deamination of amino acids
Liver
*Urea is filtered by the glomeruli
The urea nitrogen level is greatly influenced by diet
BUN is not a sensitive indicator of renal dysfunction because ____
renal function must be reduced by more than 50% to result in a rise of BUN
CREATININE
-Derived from muscle creatine (1-2% of total muscle mass per day)
-Amount excreted daily is fairly constant and independent of urinary volume
-Average men excrete 1.5 g/d into the urine; women less; athletes more
-Patients with hepatic disease, muscular dystrophy, paraplegia and poliomyelitis may excrete less creatinine due to decreased production (PMPL = less)
Reference Range for serum creatinine
M: 0.67 - 1.17 mg/dL
F: 0.51 – 0.95 mg/dL
CR CL EQUATION
Reference Range:
male = 117 +/- 20 mL/min; female = 95 +/- 20 mL/min
Cockroft and Gault Equation
Urine osmolality is a measure of ___
the concentrating power of the kidney
*urine specific gravity is usually directly proportional to osmolality
Recurring values of _____ indicate isosthenuria (fixed specific gravity)
1.010 (1.008 - 1.012)
*this finding suggests loss of tubular concentrating and diluting ability and is frequently a prelude to anuria
Normal BUN/CR Ratio
~12-20
BUN production is dependent on available protein and liver function. In addition, the ratio is affected by the specificity of the creatinine method.
-increased protein intake increases the ratio
-decreased liver function lowers the ratio
-less specific methods give higher creatinine values
INCREASED BUN/CR RATIO =
-blood in GI tract
-muscle wasting disease
-severe tissue trauma
-dehydration, decreased cardiac output, or shock (= prerenal azotemia)
-renal disease (early acute glomerulonephritis, malignant nephrosclerosis, or postrenal obstruction)
MD GTR
DECREASED BUN/CR RATIO
-chronic glomerulonephritis with protein deficiency
-severe hepatic insufficiency
-starvation
-decreased urea reabsorption (overhydration and rapid hydration)
-hemodialysis
-acute tubular necrosis
im GUSHHN
Prerenal Azotemia
is caused by a decrease in renal blood flow, e.g. due to decreased cardiac output
BUN HIGH, CREAT NORMAL