Renal System Flashcards
What is the main function of the kidneys?
- Get rid of waste (acid-base balance)
- keep your salt and potassium levels (electrolytes)
- produce hormones that make red blood cells
- Control BP with renin
- Activation VitD and Ca+
How much of the kidney can you lose before experiencing symptoms?
90%
About how much blood do kidneys filter every day? how much urine do they excrete?
200 quarts; 1.5L (10% of blood filtered)
How big is the kidney?
About the side of the fist
What triggers the release of renin?
- Low BP
- Sympathetic Stimulation
- Low sodium
What does renin do?
Splits the protein angiotensinogen into angiotensin I, which is converted into angiotensin II.
What does angiotensin II do?
Causes vasoconstriction, stimulates release of vasopressin (ADH) from PP, and the release of epinephrine, NE, and aldosterone from adrenal gland
What is the difference between ADH and Aldosterone?
ADH reeuptakes water from renal tubules WITHOUT influencing Na or K whereas aldosterone stimulates tubules to reuptake Na and water follows the electrolyte to be reabsorbed into the body
What organ does angiotensin, aldosterone and vasopressin have an effect on and can cause problems?
Heart (ultimately can lead to heart failure)
What do ACE inhibitors block?
block the enzyme that is needed for formation of angiotensin II (to prevent further heart damage from RAAS)
Where is renin produced?
granular cells of adrenal gland
How do kidneys activate VitD and maintain Ca+ balance?
Produce calcitrol from VitD; regulate phosphate levels and excrete excess (if they’re too high, low Ca+ will result)
Where does the formation of urine take place?
The nephron (about 2.5 mil per kidney)
Kidneys and ureters are innervated by ______ and _____ fibers.
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
Bladder innervation through sympathetic NS causes _____ while parasympathetic NS causes ______.
Urine storage (sphincters contract, bladder relaxes); urination (sphincters relax, bladder contracts)
What are basic renal pathologies?
- Prerenal, renal, postrenal causes
- Sensitive to bacteria
- Glomeruli exposed to noxious plasma components
- Glomeruli affected by vascular pathologies
- Renal tubules sensitive to toxins and dec.O2
- Sensitive to malignant transformation
What causes pre renal pathology? is it curable?
heart insufficiency and shock; usually reversible if cause is cured
What causes intrarenal pathology? is it curable?
tubular necrosis (lack of oxygen, drugs, etc.); can also be reversed
What causes postrenal pathology? is it curable?
kidney stone, infection of ureter, enlarged prostate; can be reversed if antagonist is removed
What are the effects of aging on the kidneys?
- dec blood flow to kidneys
- dec nephrons
- vol of urine increases
- sodium reg. not as efficient
- increased night production urine
- dec bladder capacity
- inc UT disease
What pain might accompany genitourinary disease?
- posterior subcostal and costovertebral regions
- ipsilateral shoulder pain (pressure on diaphragm)
- low back/ inner thigh
- typically aching pain but can be severe
poisoning with urine (retention of water, minerals, organic substances); cardiac arrest secondary to hyperCa+ or hyperK+, coma or death
Uremia (urine in blood)
What are systemic sx of GU disease?
- Fever, shivering, malaise, anorexia/weight loss
- Uremia
- Skin hypersensitivity
What is pain that is affected by body position?
psuedorenal pain (referred pain is not altered with change in position)