Renal Disease Flashcards
Which artery supplies the kidneys?
How much blood passes through the kidneys per minute?
The renal arteries (Left and Right)
1700ml per minute (20-25% of every heartbeat)
Where are the kidneys positioned?
Retroperitoneally around the T12-L3 level
What part of the kidneys forms the urine?
In the nephrons
What are the functions of the kidney?
Acid-base balance
Water removal
Erythropoiesis
Toxin removal
Blood pressure control
Electrolyte balance
D vitamin activation
What is the sequence of RAAS system activation?
- Juxtaglomerular cells detect increased osmolarity and release renin
- Renin triggers angiotensinogen –> angiotensin 1 in the liver
- Angiotensin Converting Enzyme in the lungs converts angiotensin 1 –> angiotensin 2
- Vasoconstriction
- Pituitary secretion of antidiuretic hormone and thirst response - Angiotensin 2 triggers aldosterone release from adrenal glands
- Sodium and water retention
What are some measures of renal function?
Microalbuminuria
Glomerular filtration rate
Serum creatinine
What is microalbuminuria?
Blood albumin present in urine
What is glomerular filtration rate?
What is it determined by?
The volume of blood filtered by the glomerulus into the bowman’s capsule per unit of time. An estimation of functional renal mass
It is determined by the filtration rate in each nephron and the number of functioning nephrons
What is creatinine?
What is creatinine clearance?
Creatinine is a waste product from creatinine phosphate.
Creatinine clearance is the amount of creatinine leaking into the urine and can be a sensitive indicator of glomerular filtration rate
What is acute renal disease?
Is it reversible?
Acute renal disease is an abrupt decline in renal function/glomerular filtration rate leading to an increase in serum creatinine and/or blood urea nitrogen
It can usually be reversible
What are the phases of acute renal disease?
Initiating phase
- Either oliguria or anuria
Oliguric phase
- 1-7 days after injury and lasting 5-15 days
- Sometimes no oliguria, but oliguria and anuria are possible
Diuretic phase
- Can last from 1-3 weeks
- Increase in urine output
- Watch for hypovolemia, hypotension, hypokalemia
Recovery phase
- Several weeks up to a year
- Decreasing serum urea and creatinine
What are some pre-renal causes for acute renal disease?
Ineffective perfusion of the kidneys while they are structurally normal
- Hypovolemia
- Hypotension
- Renal hypoperfusion
What are some intra-renal causes for acute renal disease?
Damage to renal parenchyma
- Acute tubular necrosis
- Nephrotoxic renal failure
- Glomerulonephritis
- Vasculitis
- Pylonephritis
What is acute tubular necrosis?
What colour is the urine associated with this?
Acute tubular necrosis is the sloughing of epithelial cells within the kidneys with a decline in renal function (decreased urine output)
Urine may look muddy brown
What is acute interstitial nephritis?
A drug therapy reaction within the kidneys