RENAL - KIDNEY DISEASE Flashcards
What are the functions of the kidneys?
Elimination of metabolic waste
Water homeostasis
Electrolyte homeostasis
Acid base homeostasis
Blood pressure control
Synthesising vitamin D, EPO and renin
Excretion of drugs and drug metabolites
Explain why there is a non-linear relationship between serum creatinine and kidney function?
Kidney function needs to drop by 50% before creatinine levels become abnormal I.e. its no sensitive to small changes in function
What is eGFR calculated from?
Creatinine, age, gender ethnicity
Why do we use eGFR for chronic kidney disease not acute?
Because its the best measure for use when stable renal function
How do we classify CKD?
EGFR <60 or kidney damage
Must be present for over 3 months
What is the staging for CKD?
EGFR stages
g1 - >90
G2 - 60-89
G3a - 45-59
G3b - 30-44
G4 - 15-29
G5 - <15
Or ACR categories. <3 is A1, 3-30 is A2 and >30 is A3
What’s the eGFR threshold for symptoms?
<30
Do you always see urine volume decrease in kidney disease?
No. In slowly progressive kidney disease can see urine volume actually increase, as failing tubular function leads to a salt and water wasting state. This is because the concentrating ability in the tubules fails
What are the risk factors for CKD?
Age, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, poor socioeconomic status, use of nephrotoxic medications
What are some causes of CKD?
Diabetes or hypertension
Atherosclerosis
Immune mediated diseases e.g. membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and SLE
Drugs
Infectious diseases e.g. HIV, HBV, TB, HCV
Polycystic kidneys
Obstructions e.g. tumours or stone
Normally CKD is asymptomatic but what signs and symptoms may suggest it?
Pruritus
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Oedema
Muscle cramps
Peripheral neuropathy
Pallor
Hypertension
How do we investigate CKD?
EGFR from U&E blood test - 2 tests required 3 months apart
Urine dipstick for proteinuria and haematuria
Renal ultrasound
What must eGFR be for a diagnosis of CKD?
<60 (or proteinuria)
Why can anaemia occur in CKD?
EPO deficiency
But it can also be from a number of other causes… increased blood loss, bone marrow toxins, haematuria deficiency, increased red cell destruction, ACEi use
How much does CKD increase the risk of cardiovascular disease?
16 fold
Why can CKD cause pruritus?
Accumulation of nitrogenous waste products of protein catabolism
Iron deficiency
Hyperparathyroidism
Hypercalcaemia and hyperphosphataemia
What are some complications of CKD?
Cardiovascular disease
Hypertension
Oedema
Electrolyte abnormalities
Metabolic acidosis
Mineral-bone disease
Anaemia
Uraemia
Altered drug metabolism
What are some general measures for managing CKD?
Treat any modifiable underlying cause
Address CVD risk factors e,g, smoking cessation, exercise, weight loss
Avoid nephrotoxic drugs
Immunise against influenza and pneumococcus
How do we correct hyperkalaemia in CKD?
FAR
Force K+ into cells - 20 ml 10% dextrose and 10-20 units of insulin. Or sodium bicarbonate. Or beta 2 agonist like salbutamol
Antagonise K+ - 10ml 10% calcium gluconate
Remove K+ - sodium-calcium resonium or dialysis as a last resort
Which drugs must be stopped in CKD?
Contrast media
ACEi/ ARBs
NSAIDs
Diuretics
Anti-microbials - Aminoglycosides, sulfamethoxazole, penicillins, rifampicin, amphoterecin, aciclovir
Anti convulsants - lamotrigine, valproate, phenytoin
Lithium
Anaesthetic agents - methoxyflurane and enflurane
Ethylene glycol
What causes renal bone disease?
We get low active vitamin D which is essential in calcium absorption from the intestines and kidneys
Secondary hyperparathyroidism occurs due to parathyroid glands reacting to low serum calcium and high serum phosphate - this increases osteoclast activity = absorption of calcium from bone
How quick does AKI come on?
Hours - days
How to we measure AKI?
Using creatinine and urine output
What are the creatinine and urine output values for stage 1 AKI?
Stage 2?
Stage 3?
Stage 1 - 50-100% creatinine increase. Or <0.5ml/kg/hour for 6 hours urine
Stage 2 - 100-200% creatinine increase. Or <0.5ml/kg/hour for 12 hours urine
Stage 3 - >200% creatinine increase or <0.3ml/kg/hour for 24 hours or anuria for 12 hours or needs dialysis
What are the risk factors for AKI?
Older age
Diabetes
Hypertension
Heart disease
Liver disease
CKD
Meds - diuretics, ACEi/ARB, NSAID, gentamicin, vancomycin, chemotherapy
What are pre-renal causes of AKI?
Perfusion failure e.g hypovolemia, hypotension, low cardiac output or blockage of renal artery
Medications
What are common intra-renal causes of AKI?
Diseases that affect the kidney tissue e.g. vascular is, SLE, multiple myeloma, interstitial nephritis
What are post-renal causes of AKI?
Obstruction to urinary system e.g, stones, tumours, blocked catheters
What are the main complications of AKI?
Death
Infections
Anaemia
Metabolic acidosis
Hypertension
CKD
Altered drug metabolism
Oedema
Electrolyte abnormalities
What are the clinical signs of nephrotic syndrome?
Heavy proteinuria (>3.5g/day) which also leads to hypoalbuminaemia
Peripheral oedema due to salt and water retention
Hyperlipidaemia and lipiduria
Loss of antithrombin III (and protein S and C)
Loss of thyroglobulin and vitamin D
Marked peripheral pitting oedema, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion and ascites
Hypercoagulability
Hypertension (not s marked as nephritic)
Frothy urine
What are the causes of nephrotic syndrome?
When the glomerular filtration barrier is damaged leading to increased protein leak
focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
membranous glomerulonephritis
minimal change disease
diabetic nephropathy
Amyloidosis
What are the complications of nephrotic syndrome?
Thromboembolism
Infections
Hyperlipidaemia
Malnutrition
CKD and occasionally AKI
Why can nephrotic syndrome cause thromboembolism?
increased excretion of antithrombotic factors by the affected kidneys and increased production of pro-thrombotic factors by the liver.
How do we treat nephrotic syndrome?
Loop diuretics
Salt restriction
ACEi or ARBs to reduce proteinuria
Thrombo-prophylaxis
Treat underlying cause
Why can nephrotic syndrome cause Hyperlipidaemia?
Due to increased synthesis of lipoproteins as a direct consequence of low plasma albumin
What are some primary causes of nephrotic syndrome?
Minimal change nephropathy
Congenital nephrotic syndrome
Focal segmental glomerular sclerosis
Membranous nephropathy
What are some secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome?
Amyloidosis
Diabetic nephropathy
What are the clinical features of minimal change disease?
Most common in children, particularly boys
Proteinuria is highly selective where albumin, but not higher molecular weight proteins are lost in urine
Oedema is usual and in children presents mostly around the face
Accounts for 25% of adult nephrotic syndromes
Doesn’t lead to CKD
Minimal changes on light microscopy but electron microscopy shows fusion of the foot processes of podocytes
Treated with high dose prednisolone
What’s the pathophysiology of minimal change disease?
Effacement of foot processes in glomeruli
What’s the pathophysiology of congenital nephrotic syndrome?
An autosomal recessive lay inherited disorder due to mutations in the gene coding for nephron. This loss of function results in massive proteinuria shortly after birth
What is focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?
Progressive glomerular scarring that can occur in all ages
Present as massive, non-selective proteinuria, haematuria, hypertension and renal impairment
What is amyloidosis?
a group of rare, serious conditions caused by a build-up of an abnormal, insoluble protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body
Can affect the kidneys, manifesting as nephrotic syndrome
Outline the pathology of diabetic nephropathy?
glucose will non-enzymatically combine with proteins and lipids to form pro-inflammatory molecules (non-enzymatic glycation). These molecules cause inflammation of efferent arteriole leading to arteriosclerosis. Overall effect is thickening of arteriole which increases the pressure proximal to the arteriole which causes an increase in GFR. Mesangial cells respond by secreting transforming growth factor beta = extracellular matrix release = fibrosis (glomerulosclerosis) = drops GFR
What are the clinical features of nephritic syndrome?
Proteinuria <3G a day. May have frothy urine
Haematuria (macroscopic or microscopic) - Cola coloured urine
Sterile pyuria (raised WCC in urine but no growth on cultures)
Hypertension
Temporary oliguria or uraemia
Azotemia
Oedema - liver can compensate for quite a bit of this so less marked than in nephrotic syndrome
What are some of the causes of nephritic syndrome?
Anything that damages the glomerular endothelium and causes inflammation or is immune mediated
Rapidly progressive GN
IgA nephropathy
Henoch-schonein purpura
Alport syndrome
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
SLE
Anti-GBM GN
ANCA vasculitis
What is post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
Occurs in childhood
Acute nephritis 1-3 weeks after a group A streptococcal infection (streptococcal throat infection, otitis media or cellulitis)
Caused by immune complex deposition in glomeruli (type 3 hypersensitivity)
Presents with flu-like sympotms, haematuria, proteinuria, hypertension and oliguria
What is IgA nephropathy?
The most common form of glomerulonephritis worldwide
Presents with asymptomatic haematuria and (classically) 12-72 hours after an upper RTI
Associated with HSP, coeliac disease and alcohol cirrhosis
What age group does IgA nephropathy tend to present in?
Teens-late thirties
What is Alports syndrome?
A rare hereditary nephritis characterised by chronic kidney disease, hearing loss and eye abnormalities
X-linked dominant inherited disease due to a defect in type IV collagen = abnormal GBM
What is the mortality from patients with AKI?
About 50%
Is pre-renal, renal or post-renal the most common cause of kidney failure?
Pre-renal
What is the surgical triad for common cause of hospital acquired AKI?
Post-operative volume depletion
Infection
Nephrotoxic drugs
Which drugs are nephrotoxic?
ACEi and ARB - cause efferent vasodilation
NSAIDs - cause afferent vasodilation
PPIs - cause interstitial nephritis
Aminoglycosides
Contrast mediums
What is acute uraemia?
A rise in blood urea and other products of metabolism which is often but not invariably accompanied by oliguria
What is oliguria?
A volume of urine below which at maximum urinary concentration the body cannot excrete the products of metabolism
A decrease in urine output relative to fluid input of <0.5mg/kg/h for 12 hours
What would you see on ECG in hyperkalaemia?
Tenting of T waves
Widening of QRS
Disappearance of p waves
Sine wave pattern
What clinical methods are used to assess intravascular fluid volume?
Body weight
Skin turgor
Postural bp
Mucous membranes
JVP
Lung bases
What does absolute anuria mean until proven otherwise?
Urinary tract obstruction
What is RIFLE classification?
Risk - GFR decreases >25%
Injury - GFR decreases >50%
Failure - GFR decreases >75%
Loss - dialysis dependant >4 weeks
End stage kidney disease - dialysis dependant >3 months
What is oliguria?
<400mls/day or <0.5ml/kg/hour
What is anuria?
No urine output I.e. <50mls/day
What do we think when we see macroscopic haematuria compared to microscopic?
Macroscopic usually indicates bleeding within the urinary tract
Microscopic more commonly indicates glomerular haematuria
What are the common sites of obstruction in post renal renal failure?
Bilateral pelvicoureteric junction
Bilateral ureteric junction
bladder outflow
Urethra
Which hormones does the kidney produce?
1,25 dihydroxy D3
EPO
Renin
What are some symptoms and signs of uraemia?
Anorexia
Change in taste
Nausea
Vomiting
Pruritis
Neuropathy
Pericarditis
Confusion
Encephalopathy
Coma
What are some common symptoms of hypovolemia seen in an AKI?
Thirst, orthostatic symptoms and postural hypotension
What is secondary glomerulonephritis?
When the kidney damage is as a result of another disease process
Why do patients with nephrotic syndrome have an increased risk of infection?
Due to losses of immunoglobulins and immune mediators in the urine
What’s the difference between the oedema seen in nephrotic syndrome and the oedema in nephritic syndrome?
In nephrotic syndrome low oncotic pressure due to hypoalbuminaemia and high hydrostatic pressure from fluid retention
in nephritic syndrome oliguria causes na+ and water retention
What are the main 2 causes of nephrotic syndrome in children?
Minimal change disease
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
What are the main causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults?
Membranous glomerulonephritis
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Diabetic nephropathy
SLE, amyloidosis, Hep B C and HIV
What is steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome?
Because most children with nephrotic syndrome will have MC disease and most will respond to steroids, you can treat without a biopsy - this is what we call steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome
What is relapsing nephrotic syndrome?
When children relapse on steroid withdrawal
What is steroid dependant nephrotic syndrome?
Children who need continuous steroid therapy
What is steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome and what is the likely cause?
Children who’s nephrotic syndrome does not respond to steroids
They need a biopsy
Usually caused by inherited abnormalities of podocyte proteins or quite often focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
What is the most common cause of nephritic syndrome in children?
Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis
What’s the most common cause of nephritic syndrome in adults?
IgA nephropathy
Briefly outline the pathophysiology of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
Streptococcal antigens deposit in the glomerulus forming immune complexes and causing inflammation
What is Henoch-Schonlein purpura?
an inflammation of the small blood vessels of the skin, joints, bowels and kidneys.
It can cause nephritic syndrome
Presents with a rash on extensor surfaces, polyarthtisi, abdominal pain, GI haemorrhage
Why is the histology crescentic in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis?
Because sudden breaks in the glomerular basement membrane allow an influx of inflammatory cells
How does anti-GBM antibody disease present?
Rapid renal function decline and pulmonary haemorrhage (SOB and haemoptysis)
What’s the classical presentation of IgA nephropathy?
Visible haematuria 1-2 days following an upper resp tract infection
What lesions are commonly seen histologically in diabetic nephropathy?
kimmelsteil wilson lesions
What are the 3 types of amyloidosis?
AL (primary)
AA (secondary)
Familial ATTR amyloidosis
What are some secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome?
Diabetes
Lupus
Amyloidosis
Malaria
Hep B and C
HIV
SLE
Drugs - gold, NSAIDs, heroin, lithium
Malignancies - lymphoma and leukaemia
What can cause pre-renal azotemia?
Absolute fluid loss e.g. haemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe burns
Relative fluid loss - congestive heart failure causing low CO, hypotension, NSAID use, ACEi ARB use, cyclosporine use
What causes azotemia?
High serum levels of nitrogen and creatinine
What can cause intra-renal azotemia?
Acute tubular necrosis
vascular causes e.g. vasculitis
Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis
Glomerulonephritis (aka nephritic syndrome)
What are the 3 types of ATN?
Ischemic-Induced Acute Tubular Necrosis e.g. MI or haemorrhage
Nephrotoxic-Induced Acute Tubular Necrosis (aminoglycosides, myoglobin secondary to rhabdomyolysis, radiocontrast agents, lead)
Sepsis-Induced Acute Tubular Necrosis.
What are some nephrotoxins that can cause acute tubular necrosis?
Aminoglycosides
Heavy metals
Myoglobin
Uric acid in tumour lysis syndrome
What is acute tubulointerstitial nephritis?
What can cause it
inflammation that affects the tubules of the kidneys and the interstitium
Hypersensitivity reaction to drugs such as penicillins, NSAIDs or PPIs.
It can also be caused by infections e.g. pyelonephritis