Renal Medicine Flashcards
Pre-renal causes of AKI
Due to inadequate blood supply to kidneys reducing the filtration of blood. Inadequate blood supply may be due to:
Dehydration
Hypotension (shock)
Heart failure
Renal causes of AKI
This is where intrinsic disease in the kidney is leading to reduced filtration of blood. It may be due to:
Glomerulonephritis
Interstitial nephritis
Acute tubular necrosis
Post-renal causes of AKI
Caused by obstruction to the outflow of urine from the kidney, causing back-pressure into the kidney and reduced kidney function. This is called an obstructive uropathy. Obstruction may be caused by:
Kidney stones
Masses such as cancer in the abdomen or pelvis
Ureter or uretral strictures
Enlarged prostate or prostate cancer
Nephrotoxic drugs include
NSAIDS and ACE inhibitors
What gives GFR better than creatinine
Cystatin C - produced in the body at a constant rate
Creatine clearance calculation
U (urine concentration) x V (urine flow rate) / P (plasma concentration) x 24 x 60 = creatinine clearance
G Score of ranking kidney failure
G1 = eGFR >90
G2 = eGFR 60-89
G3a = eGFR 45-59
G3b = eGFR 30-44
G4 = eGFR 15-29
G5 = eGFR <15 (known as “end-stage renal failure”)
What is needed for diagnosis of CKD
eGFR of < 60 or proteinuria for a diagnosis of CKD.
Albumin creatine ratio?
Measures proteinuria
A1 = < 3mg/mmol
A2 = 3 – 30mg/mmol
A3 = > 30mg/mmol
Drug for patients with CKD
ACE inhibitors
Xray changes in CKD
Spine xray shows sclerosis of both ends of the vertebra (denser white) and osteomalacia in the centre of the vertebra (less white)
Indications for acute dialysis in patients with a severe AKI
A – Acidosis (severe and not responding to treatment)
E – Electrolyte abnormalities (severe and unresponsive hyperkalaemia)
I – Intoxication (overdose of certain medications)
O – Oedema (severe and unresponsive pulmonary oedema)
U – Uraemia symptoms such as seizures or reduced consciousness
Peritoneal Dialysis
Peritoneal dialysis uses the peritoneal membrane as the filtration membrane. A special dialysis solution containing dextrose is added to peritoneal cavity. Ultrafiltration occurs from the blood, across the peritoneal membrane, in to the dialysis solution. The dialysis solution is then replaced, taking away the waste products that have filtered out of the blood into the solution.
What is a Tenckhoff catheter?
This is a plastic tube that is inserted into the peritoneal cavity with one end on the outside. It allows access to peritoneal cavity. This is used for inserting and removing the dialysis solution.
What is Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis?
This is where the dialysis solution is in the peritoneum at all times. There are various regimes for changing the solution. One example is where 2 litres of fluid is inserted into the peritoneum and changed four times a day.
What is automated dialysis ?
This involves peritoneal dialysis occurring overnight. A machine continuously replaces dialysis fluid in the abdomen overnight to optimise ultrafiltration. It takes 8-10 hours.
Complications of peritoneal dialysis
Bacterial peritonitis. Infusions of glucose solution make the peritoneum a great place for bacterial growth. Bacterial infection is a common and potentially serious complication of peritoneal dialysis.
Peritoneal sclerosis involves thickening and scarring of the peritoneal membrane.
Ultrafiltration failure can develop. This occurs when the patient starts to absorb the dextrose in the filtration solution. This reduces the filtration gradient making ultrafiltration less effective. This becomes more prominent over time.
Weight gain can occur as they absorb the carbohydrates in the dextrose solution.
Psychosocial effects. There are huge social and psychological effects of having to change dialysis solution and sleep with a machine every night.
Options for blood supply for haemodialysis
Tunnelled cuffed catheter
Arterio-venous fistula
Positioning of a tunnelled cuffed catheter
Tube inserted into the subclavian or jugular vein with a tip that sits in the superior vena cava or right atrium
Examine an AV fistula
Skin integrity
Aneurysms
Palpable thrill (a fine vibration felt over the anastomosis)
Stereotypical “machinery murmur” on auscultation
What is STEAL syndrome
STEAL syndrome is where there is inadequate blood flow to the limb distal to the AV fistula. The AV fistula “steals” blood from the distal limb. The blood is diverted away from where is was supposed to supply and flows straight into the venous system.
This causes distal ischaemia.
What is high output heart failure?
Where there is an A-V fistula blood is flowing very quickly from the arterial to the venous system through the fistula. This means there is rapid return of blood to the heart. This increases the pre-load in the heart (how full the heart is before it pumps). This leads to hypertrophy of the heart muscle and heart failure.
Procedure of kidney transplant
The patient’s own kidneys are left in place.
The donor kidney’s blood vessels are connected (anastomosed) with the patient’s pelvic vessels, usually the external iliac vessels.
The donor kidney’s ureter is anastomosed directly with the patient’s bladder.
The donor kidney is placed anterior in the abdomen and can usually be palpated in the iliac fossa area. They typically use a “hockey stick incision” and there will be a “hockey stick scar”.
Immunosuppressants for kidney transplant
Most common
Tacrolimus
Mycophenolate
Prednisolone
Other possible immunosuppressants:
Cyclosporine
Sirolimus
Azathioprine
The most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
What is the most common cause of primary glomerulonephritis (not caused by another disease)?
IgA nephropathy
Most common type of glomerulonephritis overall
Membranous glomulonephritis
Membranous glomulonephritis histology
IgG and complement deposits on the basement membrane
Classic presentation of Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis (AKA diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis)
Patients are typically under 30 years. It presents as:
1-3 weeks after a streptococcal infection (e.g. tonsillitis or impetigo)
They develop a nephritic syndrome
There is usually a full recovery
Goodpasture syndrome presentation
Patient that presents with acute kidney failure and haemoptysis (coughing up blood).
Anti-GBM (glomerular basement membrane) antibodies attack glomerulus and pulmonary basement membranes. This causes glomerulonephritis and pulmonary haemorrhage.