Causes and effects of kidney failure

What does protein in the urine suggest?

If the basement membrane or podocytes of the Bowman’s capsule are damaged, they no longer act as filters and large plasma proteins pass into the filtrate and are passed out in the urine

What does blood in the urine suggest?

Filtering process is no longer working

What does loss of electrolyte balance suggest?

If kidneys fail, the body can’t excrete excess sodium, potassium, chloride ions. This causes osmotic imbalances in the tissues and eventual death

What does build up of toxic urea in the blood suggest?

If the kidneys fail, the body can’t get rid of urea and it can poison the cells

What does high blood pressure suggest?

Kidneys play an important role in controlling blood pressure by maintaining water balance of the blood. If kidneys fail, bp increases

What does weakened bones mean?

Calcium/phosphorous balance in the blood is lost

What does pain and stiffness in joints mean?

Abnormal proteins are building up in the bloo d

What does anaemia suggest?

Kidneys involved in produced of erythropoietin which stimulates formation of RBC, when kidneys fail, it reduces their production

What is the glomerular filtration rate?

Rate of filtration not directly measured, it measures level of creatinine in the lood

How does the concentration of urea, glucose and blood protein change during dialysis?

Molecules diffuse through partially permeable dialysis tube through diffusion. Urea diffuses from a high to low concentration. Glucose stays the same because of equilibrium of molecules in dialysis fluid and tube, proteins are too large to pass through membrane