Urinary System Disorders Flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards cover Chapter 18: Urinary System Disorders, including physiological functions, hormonal regulation, diagnostic criteria, and various pathologies such as renal failure, UTIs, and congenital disorders.

Erythropoietin

A hormone secreted by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

The system by which the kidneys help regulate blood pressure by responding to reduced blood flow.

Filtration

The process by which a large volume of fluid, including wastes and nutrients, passes from the blood into the tubules.

Proximal convoluted tubule

The part of the tubule where reabsorption of essential nutrients like water and electrolytes takes place.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

A hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland that controls the reabsorption of water into the distal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts.

Aldosterone

A hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex that controls sodium reabsorption in exchange for potassium or hydrogen.

Atrial natriuretic hormone (ANH)

A hormone from the heart that reduces sodium and fluid reabsorption in the kidneys.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

The flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney glomeruli, used as a key indicator of kidney function.

Incontinence

The loss of voluntary control of the bladder.

Enuresis

Involuntary urination by a child older than four years of age, often related to developmental delays or psychosocial aspects.

Stress incontinence

Incontinence caused by increased intra-abdominal pressure (e.g., coughing or laughing) forcing urine through a relaxed sphincter, common after multiple pregnancies.

Overflow incontinence

Incontinence resulting from an incompetent bladder sphincter or a weakened detrusor muscle, preventing the bladder from emptying completely.

Retention

The inability to empty the bladder, which may follow anesthesia, spinal cord injuries, or result from an enlarged prostate.

Normal Urine Specific Gravity

A measurement of urine concentration typically ranging between $1.01$ and $1.05$.

Hematuria

The presence of blood in the urine; a small amount may indicate infection, while a large amount may indicate increased glomerular permeability or hemorrhage.

Proteinuria (Albuminuria)

The leakage of albumin or mixed plasma proteins into the filtrate, indicating an abnormality in glomerular permeability.

Urinary cast

Microscopic structures found in urine that indicate inflammation of the kidney tubules.

Metabolic Acidosis

A decrease in serum pH (below $7.35$) and serum bicarbonate, indicating a decreased GFR and failure of the tubules to control acid-base balance.

ASO and ASK titers

Antibody levels used specifically to diagnose post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Cystoscopy

A diagnostic procedure that visualizes the lower urinary tract and may be used to perform biopsies or remove kidney stones.

Diuretic Drugs

Medications, often called "water pills," used to remove excess sodium ions and water from the body to reduce fluid volume.

Hemodialysis

A procedure where the patient's blood is cycled through an external machine with a semipermeable membrane to exchange waste, fluid, and electrolytes.

Peritoneal dialysis

A treatment where the peritoneal membrane serves as the semipermeable membrane and dialyzing fluid is instilled into and drained from the peritoneal cavity.

Cystitis

An infection of the bladder wall, considered a lower urinary tract infection.

Pyelonephritis

An upper urinary tract infection involving one or both kidneys, where purulent exudate fills the renal pelvis.

Dysuria

Painful or difficult urination.

Nocturia

The need to wake up during the night to urinate.

Glomerulonephritis

An inflammatory disorder where antigen-antibody complexes activate the complement system, leading to congestion and cell proliferation in the glomeruli.

Nephrotic Syndrome

A glomerular abnormality characterized by high permeability, resulting in massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and generalized edema.

Hypoalbuminemia

Low levels of albumin in the blood, which decreases plasma osmotic pressure and leads to severe edema in nephrotic syndrome.

Urolithiasis

The formation of calculi, or kidney stones, which can develop anywhere in the urinary tract when solutes in the filtrate are in excessive amounts.

Hydronephrosis

A secondary problem where urine back pressure causes a dilated, fluid-filled area in the kidney, potentially leading to necrosis of the tissue.

Nephrosclerosis

Vascular changes in the kidney similar to arteriosclerosis, involving the thickening and hardening of arteriole walls.

Renal cell carcinoma

A primary malignant tumor arising from the tubule epithelium, which is often asymptomatic in its early stages.

Agenesis

A congenital disorder where one kidney fails to develop.

Hypoplasia

A failure of the kidney to develop to its normal size.

Ectopic kidney

A kidney and its ureter that are displaced out of their normal position.

Horseshoe kidney

A congenital abnormality in which the two kidneys are fused together.

Wilms tumor (Nephroblastoma)

A rare, encapsulated malignant tumor occurring in children, typically diagnosed between ages $3$ and $4$.

Azotemia

The presence of urea and other excess nitrogenous waste products in the blood.

Oliguria

The production of abnormally small amounts of urine.

Anuria

The absence of urine production.

Uremic frost

The appearance of urea crystals on the skin in patients with advanced chronic renal failure.