Genitourinary Disorders and Chronic Kidney Disease Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering urinary tract infections, renal calculi, benign prostatic hyperplasia, chronic kidney disease, and renal replacement therapy.

Three Infections of the Urinary Tract

Comparison of cystitis (bladder lining infection), prostatitis (prostate gland infection), and pyelonephritis (kidney tissue infection) categorized by site, symptoms, pain location, systemic signs, and management.

Cystitis

Inflammation of the bladder lining characterized by voiding symptoms like burning, urgency, frequency, suprapubic pressure, and cloudy urine without systemic fever.

Pyelonephritis

Infection of the kidney tissue that presents as a systemic illness with high fever, rigors, nausea, vomiting, flank pain, and costovertebral angle (CVA) tenderness.

Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection

A lower urinary tract infection occurring in a healthy, non-pregnant female with a structurally normal genitourinary tract.

Complicated Urinary Tract Infection

A urinary tract infection occurring in individuals with structural or functional abnormalities, including men, pregnant women, catheterized patients, or those with obstruction, immunosuppression, or kidney disease.

Dysuria

A burning or uncomfortable sensation experienced during voiding.

Phenazopyridine

A short-term urinary analgesic that numbs burning symptoms without treating the infection, known for staining contact lenses and turning urine orange.

Urosepsis

A severe, life-threatening systemic infection originating from the urinary tract, marked by persistent fever or hypothermia, tachycardia, hypotension, and altered mental status.

Acute Bacterial Prostatitis

A systemic bacterial infection of the prostate causing abrupt fever, chills, perineal and low back pain, pain with ejaculation, and an exquisitely tender prostate on exam.

Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis

Recurrent urinary tract infections caused by persistent harboring of bacteria within the prostate reservoir, presenting with vague pelvic discomfort and requiring weeks of oral antibiotic therapy.

Renal Colic

Sudden, severe pain coming in waves that radiates from the flank to the groin or testicle, caused by a ureteral stone stretching the ureter and renal capsule.

Calcium Oxalate Stones

The most common renal calculi (accounting for about $80\%$), managed and prevented by high fluid intake, normal dietary calcium, and reduced sodium and oxalate consumption.

Uric Acid Stones

Renal calculi formed in acidic urine that are associated with gout and can sometimes be dissolved by alkalinizing the urine.

Struvite Stones

Infection-related kidney stones associated with urea-splitting bacteria that can grow rapidly into large staghorn shapes.

Tamsulosin

An alpha-blocker medication prescribed to relax the lower ureter and facilitate the spontaneous passage of small renal calculi.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland that constricts the prostatic urethra, producing obstructive symptoms (weak stream, hesitancy) and irritative symptoms (frequency, nocturia).

Alpha Blockers

First-line BPH medications that work within days by relaxing prostatic smooth muscle without shrinking the gland, requiring precautions for first-dose orthostatic hypotension.

5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors

Class of BPH medications that shrink the prostate gland over 3 to 6 months, halve baseline PSA levels, and are teratogenic to pregnant women.

Continuous Bladder Irrigation

A procedure using a three-way catheter to continuously flush saline through the bladder to clear blood clots and maintain pink-to-clear urine output following prostate surgery.

Acute Urinary Retention

A medical emergency characterized by a sudden, total inability to void, leading to a painful, distended bladder.

Glomerular Filtration Rate

The volume of blood filtered by the glomeruli per minute, serving as the single best overall index of kidney function.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Slow, irreversible loss of nephrons and filtering capacity lasting at least 3 months, characterized by rising nitrogenous waste and multisystem dysfunction.

CKD Staging and Risk Progression

Staging framework evaluating eGFR and Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (ACR) to determine nephron loss, protein leakage, disease progression risk, and treatment adjustments.

Acute Kidney Injury vs Chronic Kidney Disease

Comparison differentiating AKI (rapid onset over hours/days, potentially reversible, normal kidney size) from CKD (onset of at least 3 months, irreversible, small echogenic kidneys, long-standing anemia).

Uremia

A toxic multisystemic state resulting from the accumulation of urea, creatinine, and metabolic wastes when renal function fails.

AEIOU Indications for Dialysis

Mnemonic summarizing urgent life-threatening indications for renal replacement therapy: Acidosis, Electrolyte derangements (hyperkalemia), Intoxications, Overload (fluid), and Uremia.

Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis

A major infection complication of peritoneal dialysis recognized by cloudy dialysate effluent, requiring urgent cell count, culture, and notification.