Lab Assessments Flashcards
4 major functions of the nephron are?
- Filtration
- reabsorption
- secretion
- excretion
movement of water and solutes from the bloodstream to the renal tubule (nephron)
- glomerulus
- 20% of plasma volume passing through is filtered
- drive by hydraulic pressure
Filtration
movement of water and solutes from the renal tubule back into the blood stream
- throughout the renal tubule
reabsorption
movement of additional substances from the bloodstream into the renal tubule
- helps with the elimination of wastes
- helps maintain K balance
- helps maintain pH
Secretion
total substance removed in urine
- = filtration-reabsorption + secretion
Exretion
sum filtration rate of all the functioning nephrons
- gold standard for measuring kidney function
- normal = 120/ml/min
- varies according to age- decreases every 10 years after age 40, gender, body size
GFR
uses of GFR?
- identify kidney disease/disorders
- selection of medication dosages
- avoidance of certain medications (nephrotoxic i.e, NSAIDS, antibiotics, antifungals)
- monitior CKD (chronic kidney disease)
- criteria for referral and dialysis
what are GFR levels? when should you refer, when should they be on dialysis?
- Normal GFR > 90
- CKD2 (mild) = 60-89
- CKD3 (moderate) = 30-59 (REFER)
- CKD4 (severe) =15-29
- CKD5 failure) = < 15 (DIALYSIS)
- Produced as the result of normal muscle metabolism
- a product of skeletal muscle contration (dependent on muscle mass of patient)
- excreted entirely by kidney (directly proportional to renal exretory function)
- used to approximate the glomerular filtration rate
- normal serum levels is 0.5-1.5mg/dL
creatinine
what is the relationship beetween serum creatinine and GFR?
Inverse relationship between serum creatinine
- 2x increase in CR = GFR decrease by 50%
- mild elvation = significant dysfunction
- this applies even when values remain within normal limits
- measure of GFR
- normal - 100mL/min (Dependent on age and gender)
- calculated by two means: directly, indirectly
Creatinine clearance
how do you measure CrCL directly?
24 hour urine collection
- both serum and urine needed
- collection does not provide more accurate estimate of GFR than do prediction equations
how do you measure CrCl indirectly?
- uses serum creatinine in
- the cockroft-gault equation
- pharmacokinetic studies use eCrCL therefore it has become the standard for drug dosing
It is is produced in the liver, found in blood and is secreted and reabsorbed by the kidneys
- directly related to the metabolic function of liver
- assuming normal liver function it is an estimate of renal functions
- other variables that effect?- protein breakdown, hydration status, liver failure
- rises quickly in dehydration (faster than CR)
Blood urea Nitrogen
(5-26) mg/dL
increase in nitrogenous waste products (urea and creatinine) diagnosis made on labs alone
Azotemia
symptomatic azotemia (N/V, lethargy)
uremia
classify the duration of kidney failure?
- acute= less than 3 months duration
- chronic= greater than 3 months duration
- good screening test for obstruction and to differentiate acute vs chronic renal disease
- can alo obtain additional information: cysts, the renal size disparity
Renal ultrasound
ways to find the cause of kidney failure?
- Bun/cr ratio
- urine Na
- fractional excretion Na
- urine Sp Gr
- urine osmolality
Evaluate BUN/Cr ratio levels and kidney function
> 20:1 = pre-renal
- GI bleed
- decreased volume
- urine obstruction
< 20:1
- Intra-renal
- often chronic (CKD)
- Compare to serum
- sodium and potassium most common
- random urine Na < 10 suggests dehydration (CHF, liver disease)
- randome urine Na > 20 suggest kidney/adrenal disease
- can be used to calculate FENa (an equation that is helpful to distinguish between pre-renal and intra-renal azotemia)
Urine electrolytes
- Both reflect the kidney’s ability to concentrate urine and relative hydration
- typically specific gravity varies with osmolality
- determined by the number of particles in the urine so:
- higher with dehydration
- lower with hydration
urine specific gravity and osmolality
mainly used for hydration status
- Could be hematuria, hemoglobinuria, myoglobinurina
- presence of erythrocytes on microscope confirms
- false positive is common therefore confirm with microscopy
- false negative is uncommon
Blood (urinalysis)
What is evaluated in a gross evaulation of urine?
color:
- normal varies, influenced by chemical compisition, urine concentration
- can be red- hematuria, food dyes, beets, medications (rifampin)
- red to brown- hemoglobinuria (hemolytic anemia) myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis)
- orange- vitamin C, carrots, medications
- green- dyes (Methylene blue), medications(propfol) asparugs
clarity
- clear = norma
- cloudy= “gray area” - coul be normal (precipitated phophate crystals in the urine, could be pyruia (pus/bacterial infection)
- turbid= infection, crystals, protein, etc
Odor
- Urinoid= normal
- pungent may –> UTI
- Fruity/sweet = DKA
- fecal–> Fistula