Renal Failure Flashcards
Basic functions of the kidney
Secretion of erythropoietin to stimulate RBC production
Endocrine control of calcium and phosphate
Endocrine regulation of ECF
Excretion of nitrogenous waste products (urea, uric acid)
Water, electrolyte and acid base homeostasis
Glomerular filtration
filtering the blood that flows through the kidney’s good vessels or glomeruli
Tubular reabsorption
reabsorbing filtered fluid through the tubules that make up the kidney (pull fluid from the tubules back into the blood stream)
Tubular secretion
release of filtered substances from the blood, to the tubules and secreted as urine
What are some diagnostic tests you can do for kidneys?
radiograph/ultrasound
Check serum abnormalities
Low plasma pH
Anemia (chronic kidney failure)
What happens to the electrolyte balances in diminished renal function?
you will have nL or elevated levels of K
you will have decreased levels of Ca and increased levels of phosphorus (they always move opposite)
What would the ABGs indicate in diminished renal function?
decreased arterial pH and bicarb levels Metabolic acidosis (renal....not lung)
When kidneys aren’t working well what happens to the BUN?
rises (even though it is is a poor indication of renal failure)
What happens to creatinine levels when kidneys aren’t working well?
Creatinine is not being reabsorbed or secreted by the tubules so the creatinine levels rise! It’s specific because it only rises if problems with the kidney, but you must compare it to a person’s normal levels and it is NOT sufficient by itself for measuring renal function
What is the normal BUN:Creatinine Ratio and what is indicative of renal dysfunction
Normally 10:1 but in renal failure it >20:1
Azotemia
accumulation of nitrogenous waste in blood (urea, creatinine and others)….spilling of these wastes into the blood stream.
**When azotemia = renal failure
Do men have higher or lower creatinine levels than women
they always have higher levels, thats why it is important to know what the person’s nL level of creatinine is
What is creatinine clearance used for?
It’s done to see if someone’s kidneys are working, and is the amount of blood (mL) that the kidneys can clear of creatinine in 1 minute
(how much creatinine shows up in urine)
What does creatinine clearance measure?
most accurate measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) because creatinine is filtered by the glomeruli, but not reabsorbed by the tubules
Glomerular filtration rate is a function of
permeability of the capillary walls
vascular pressure
filtration pressure
What is the normal GFR rate?
120 mL/min (rate at which the glomeruli filter blood)
What is the relationship between GFR and Creatinine Clearance?
Since tubules don’t reabsorb or secrete creatinine the creatinine clearance is = GFR
NOTE **if the tubules were to reabsorb the substance Clearance < GFR
and if the tubules secreted the substance the Clearance would be > GFR
Is it better to have increased or decreased creatinine levels in urine?
It’s better to have increased because it indicates that the kidneys are functioning properly (not reabsorbing creatinine)
What is the GOLD standard test for Renal function?
CREATININE CLEARANCE
It’s a 24 hour collection
What would the CBC test indicate if there was renal dysfunction/failure?
Decreased RBCs
Decreased Hgb
Low Hct (25-35%) (if anaphoric = 1 kidney or no kidneys it would be really low @ 12-20%)
Microcytic hypochromic anemia (what iron deficiency anemia looks like)
Causes of chronic kidney disease?
Obstructions - kidney stones
Chronic infections - pylonephritis and tuberculosis
HTN and diabetes
Glomerular disease
Stage I chronic kidney disease
kidney damage with normal or increased GFR
>90ml/min/1.73m2
Stage 2 chronic kidney disease
Mild reduction in GFR
Stage 3 chronic kidney disease
Moderate reduction in GFR
Stage 4 chronic kidney disease
Severe reduction in GFR
Stage 5 chronic kidney disease
KIDNEY FAILURE and person needs treatment in order to live (GFR <15ml)
Symptomatic indications of Chronic Renal Disease?
hyperphosphatemia pruritis (itchy dry skin with yellowish grey color) Anemia and bleeding tendency bone pain acidosis tiredness nocturia fluid overload
Compensation of tubular functions of kidney failure include
Inability to excrete potassium (increased K)
Inability to regulate sodium excretion (decreased Na)
Hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia = increased levels of PTH (PTH pulls Ca out of the bones and the bones become weaker and they break)
How does CKD change the kidney function?
Impairs synthesis of erythropoietin and effects of uremia = ANEMIA
Impairs platelet function = BLEEDING TENDENCIES (bruising/bloody noses)