Renal
What is a urinary tract obstruction? A blockage of urine flow anywhere in the urinary system that can lead to kidney damage
What determines severity of urinary obstruction? Location, completeness, unilateral vs bilateral involvement, duration, and cause
What is hydronephrosis? Dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces due to urine backup
What is hydroureter? Dilation of the ureter due to obstruction
Why is urinary obstruction dangerous? Increased pressure leads to nephron death and possible renal failure
What is nephrolithiasis? Formation of kidney stones from crystals, protein, or mineral salts
How do kidney stones form? Supersaturation of salts, precipitation, and crystal growth
Most important risk factor for kidney stones? Low fluid intake (dehydration)
Which urine pH causes calcium phosphate stones? Alkaline urine
Which urine pH causes uric acid stones? Acidic urine
What is renal colic? Severe flank pain caused by kidney stones
What is a urethral stricture? Narrowing of the urethra due to injury, infection, or surgery
What causes prostate-related obstruction? BPH, inflammation, or prostate cancer
What is overactive bladder? Increased detrusor activity causing urgency and frequency
What is underactive bladder? Reduced bladder contraction causing incomplete emptying
What is neurogenic bladder? Bladder dysfunction due to neurologic disorders
What is dyssynergia? Bladder and sphincter contract simultaneously causing obstruction
What is detrusor areflexia? Bladder cannot contract leading to urine retention
Symptoms of urinary obstruction? Frequency, urgency, nocturia, dysuria, weak stream, incomplete emptying
Most common kidney cancer? Renal cell carcinoma
Most common bladder cancer? Urothelial carcinoma
Major risk factor for urinary tumors? Smoking
What causes UTIs? Bacteria from gut flora, most commonly E. coli
How do bacteria enter the urinary tract? Ascending (retrograde) movement
Why are women at higher risk for UTIs? Shorter urethra
What protects the urinary tract from infection? Urine flow, acidic pH, high urea, Tamm-Horsfall protein, ureterovesical junction
What is cystitis? Infection of the bladder causing dysuria, urgency, and frequency
What is pyelonephritis? Infection of the kidney causing fever, flank pain, and CVA tenderness
What lab finding indicates pyelonephritis? White blood cell casts
What is interstitial cystitis? Chronic bladder inflammation without infection (autoimmune)
What is nephritic syndrome? Hematuria, RBC casts, and mild proteinuria
What causes nephritic syndrome? Inflammation of the glomerulus increasing permeability to RBCs
What is nephrotic syndrome? Protein loss greater than 3.5 g/day due to glomerular damage
Signs of nephrotic syndrome? Hypoalbuminemia, edema, hyperlipidemia
Why does edema occur in nephrotic syndrome? Loss of albumin decreases oncotic pressure causing fluid shift into tissues
What causes acute glomerulonephritis? Immune reaction damaging glomeruli
Classic urine appearance in glomerulonephritis? Cola-colored urine
What happens to GFR in glomerulonephritis? Decreases
What is azotemia? Elevated BUN and creatinine levels
What is uremia? Clinical symptoms of kidney failure from toxin buildup
Most common cause of AKI? Prerenal causes (decreased blood flow)
What causes prerenal AKI? Hypotension or decreased perfusion
What causes intrarenal AKI? Damage to kidney tissue such as ATN
What causes postrenal AKI? Urinary obstruction such as BPH
What happens in the oliguric phase of AKI? Low urine output with high potassium, BUN, and creatinine
What happens in the recovery phase of AKI? Increased urine output with risk of dehydration
When do CKD symptoms appear? When renal function is less than 25%
What happens to potassium in CKD? Increases (hyperkalemia)
What happens to calcium in CKD? Decreases (hypocalcemia)
What happens to phosphate in CKD? Increases (hyperphosphatemia)
Why does CKD cause anemia? Decreased erythropoietin production
What acid-base imbalance occurs in CKD? Metabolic acidosis
Leading cause of death in CKD? Cardiovascular disease
Why do CKD patients experience pruritus? Uremic toxins accumulate in the skin
What is renal agenesis? Absence of kidney development
What is a horseshoe kidney? Fusion of the kidneys during development
What is polycystic kidney disease? Genetic disorder causing cyst formation and kidney destruction
Normal urine pH? 4.6–8.0
What does protein in urine indicate? Glomerular damage or kidney disease
What does glucose in urine indicate? Diabetes mellitus
What do ketones in urine indicate? Metabolic stress or ketoacidosis
What do nitrites in urine indicate? Bacterial infection
What do white blood cells in urine indicate? Infection or inflammation
What do red blood cells in urine indicate? Trauma, stones, infection, or tumors
Normal creatinine level? 0.6–1.2 mg/dL
What does elevated creatinine indicate? Decreased GFR and kidney dysfunction
Normal BUN level? 8–20 mg/dL
Normal BUN/creatinine ratio? 10:1
What does a high BUN/creatinine ratio indicate? Dehydration or hypovolemia
What does a low BUN/creatinine ratio indicate? Liver disease or low protein intake
Prerenal AKI summary? Problem with blood flow to kidneys
Intrarenal AKI summary? Problem within kidney tissue
Postrenal AKI summary? Problem after kidney due to obstruction
Nephritic vs nephrotic syndrome difference? Nephritic involves blood, nephrotic involves protein
Most common UTI pathogen? Escherichia coli