Issues with Urinary Tract Flashcards
(11 cards)
Urinary Tract Infection
Infection of any part of the urinary tract
Urinary frequency (polyuria)
Dysuria (pain on urinating)
Persistent sensation of need to urinate unrelieved by passing urine
Haematuria (blood in urine)
Cloudy or strong smelling urine
In women, central pelvic pain
Cystitis
Viral, chlamydial or fungal infection may proliferate in an immunocompromised host
Direct chemical or radiation damage
Antigen release and formation of antigen-antibody complexes
Interstitial cystitis
Considered a clinical syndrome, sometimes called painful bladder syndrome
Aetiology remains unclear- IBD, IBS, SLE, fibromyalgia and atopic allergy tend to be linked to IC
Potential causes may include deficient bladder lining, pathogenic mast cell activity within the bladder mucosa, nervous hypersensitivity at bladder/spinal cord level
Pyelonephritis
Bacterial infection of the kidney, often from a lower UT infection, that may cause organ damage and scarring, and can be life threatening
IF DIAGNOSED, REFER FOR PROMPT HOSPITAL TREATMENT (antibiotics and pain relief)
Fever (with chills)
Costovertebral angle pain (side pain, groin pain) Nausea/vomiting
Dysuria, polyuria, haematuria, pyuria (pus in the urine)
Cloudy and/or foul smelling urine
Renal stones
Two mechanisms underlying supersaturation of urine with stone forming factors, and deposition of stone forming material within the kidney
Pain (renal colic) from kidney stone caused by the dilation, stretching, and spasm of acute ureteral obstruction
Pelvic pain syndrome
Describes pelvic pain of unknown origin
Often called CPPS (chronic pelvic pain syndrome)
Can be linked to other diseases, as well as a condition itself
Pain is variable –sharp/dull, constant/intermittent, sometimes described as pressure/heaviness in the pelvis
Goal of treatment is to alleviate symptomatic experience of pain
Vulvodynia
Chronic pain in the vulvar area persisting longer than three months
Pain may be described as burning or irritation
A sensation of rawness, and itching, may accompany the condition
Interferes with activities of daily life and sexual activity
No identifiable cause is present
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Hyperplasia means an increase in number of cells. When cells increase in number in the prostate, it becomes enlarged. When the prostate is bigger, it causes pressure and constriction of the urethra, as the urethra passes through the prostate (see picture above). The enlargement, therefore, is going to cause obstructive symptoms when passing urine.
Hormonal imbalance
persistent inflammation
Prostatitis
- Acute bacterial prostatitis
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (non-bacterial)
Inflammation causes swelling of the prostate and therefore causing obstructive symptoms as urine flow is restricted. In acute prostatitis, when the inflammation is caused by bacteria, the condition may present with systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches.
Prostate cancer
Uncontrolled cell growth, usually in glandular cells. Most adenocarcinomas, meaning malignant transformation and proliferation of fluid secreting glandular cells. (Adenocarcinoma = cancer in glandular tissue).
Erectile dysfunction
Multifactorial. These could be split into organic processes (generally gradual onset) or psychogenic (generally sudden onset).
Organic pathophysiological processes include:
1) inability to get good arterial blood flow into corpus cavernosum of penis. This could be caused by endothelial damage contributing to small vessel disease in the penis.
2) Less circulating free testosterone, as testosterone is needed to get an erection.
3) Neuropathy leading to decreased parasympathetic nerve firing and therefore less nitric oxide release. Nitric oxide causes vasodilation allowing more blood flow into penis.
Psychogenic processes (manifesting in depression, anxiety)– there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, inhibition of spinal erection center in brain and sympathetic overactivity, inhibiting the ability to get and/or keep an erection.
