Renal Flashcards
(49 cards)
What are the normal ranges for electrolytes in the body?
- Sodium (Na+) 135-145 mmol/L
- Potassium (K+) 3.5-5 mmol/L
- Chloride (Cl-) 95-105 mmol/L
- Bicarbonate (HCO3-) 24-30 mmol/L
Describe some common principles related to sodium homeoostasis?
- hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia are disorders of water balance
- hyponatraemia usually suggests too much water in the ECF relative to Na+
- hypernatraemia usually suggests too little water in the ECF relative to Na+
- solutes (such as Na+, K+, glucose) that cannot freely traverse the plasma membrane contribute to effective osmolality and induce transcellular shifts of water
- water moves out of cells in response to increased ECF osmolality
- water moves into cells in response to decreased ECF osmolality
- ECF volume is determined by Na+ content rather than concentration
- Na+ deficiency leads to ECF volume contraction
- Na+ excess leads to ECF volume expansion
- clinical signs and symptoms of hyponatremia and hypernatremia are secondary to cells (especially in the brain) shrinking (hypernatremia) or swelling (hyponatremia)
How do you asses volume status on physical exam?
Define hyponatraemia.
A serum sodium level of <130 mmol/L
What are the different types of hyponatraemia and their causes?
- Factitious ‘pseudohyponatraemia’
- associated with hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hyperproteinaemia
- correct the sodium for hyperglycaemia by adjusting hte serum sodium up by 1 mmol/L for every 3 mmol/L elevation in blood sugar.
- Hypovolaemic hyponatraemia
- urinary sodium >20 mmol/L: renal cuases include diuretics, Addison’s disease, salt-losing nephropathy, glycosuria, ketonuria.
- Urinary sodium <20mmol/L; extrarenal losses such as vomiting, diarrhoea, burns, pancreatitis.
- Normovolaemic hyponatraemia
- Urine osmolality > serum osmolality:
- syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) due to head injury, meningoencephalitits, CVA, pneumonia, COPD, neoplasia, HIV, drugs such as carbamazepine, NSAIDs and antidepressants such as SSRIs
- Positive-pressure ventilation, porphyria
- Urine osmolality < serum osmolality:
- hypotonic post-operative fluids such as 5% dextrose or 4% dextrose 1/5 normal saline, TURP irrigation fluid, psychogenic polydipsia, ‘tea and toast’ diet, beer potomania.
- Urine osmolality > serum osmolality:
- Hypervolaemic hyponatraemia
- Urinary sodium <20 mmol/L: congestive cardiac failure, cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, hypoalbuminaemia, hepatorenal syndrome
- Urinary sodium >20 mmol/L: steroids, cerebral salt wasting, chronic renal failure, hypothyroidism.
What are the clinical features of hyponatraemia?
Clinical features progress as the serum sodium level drop, but depend also on the rate of fall, i.e. the more rapid the fall the greater the symtpoms:
- Na > 125 mmol/L: usually symptomatic
- Na 115-125 mmol/L: lethargy, weakness, ataxia, and vomiting
- Na <115 mmol/L: confusion, headache, convulsions, and coma
What are the complications of hyponatraemia?
- Seizure, coma, respiratory arrest, permanent braine damage, brainstem herniation, death
- risk of brain cell shrinkage with rapid correction of hyponatraemia
- can develop osmotic demyelination of pontine and extrapontine neurons; may be irreversible (e.g. central pontine myelinolysis: cranial nerve palsies, quadriplegia, decreased LOC)
First thought Central pontine myelinolysis.
- Cranial nerve palsies
- Quadriplegia
- Decreased LOC
What are the risk factors for developing osmotic demyelination?
- rise in serum [Na+] with correction >8 mEq/L/d if chronic hyponatremia
- associated hypokalemia
- if patient with hyponatremia and hypovolemia is given large volume of isotonic fluid (ADH is stimulated by hypovolemia; when hypovolemia is corrected, the ADH level falls suddenly causing sudden brisk water diuresis, and therefore rapid rise in serum Na+ level)
What Ix need to be order for someone with hyponatraemia?
- Bloods: FBC, LFTs, UECs, glucose, serum osmolality, TSH, free T4, cortisol levels
- Urine: osmolality, urine Na+ <10-20 mEq/L suggests volume depletion as the cause of hyponatremia)
- assess for causes of SIADH
- ECG
- consider CXR and possibly CT chest if suspect pulmonary cause of SIADH (e.g. small cell lung cancer)
- consider CT head if suspect CNS cause
What is the management of hyponatraemia?
General measures for all patients
- Commence high-flow oxygen via face mask
- Discontinue implicated drug therapy and treat the underlying medical condition, e.g. antibiotics for sepsis, treat pain, nausea etc.
- Restrict free water intact - to 50% of estimated maintenance fluid requirements in SIADH, i.e. around 750ml/day
- promote free water loss
- Aim to increase the serum Na+ gradually by 0.5 mmol/L per h, to a max rate of 12 mmol/L per 24 h.
- Carefully monitor serum Na+, urine volume and urine tonicity (e.g. high output of dilute urine may be a sign of impending rapid serum sodium correction)
What is the management of hyponatraemia?
Definietly acute (known to have developed over <24-48h)
- commonly occurs in hospital (dilute IV fluid, post-operative increased ADH)
- less risk from rapid correction since adaptation has not fully occurred
- if symptomatic
- correct rapidly with 3% NaCl 1-2 ml/kg/h up to serum [Na+] = 125-130 mmol/L
- may need furosemide to address volume overload
- if asymptomatic, treatment depends on severity
- if marked fall in plasma [Na+], treat as symptomatic
What is the management of hyponatraemia?
Chronic or unknown
- GET SENIOR DOCTOR HELP - especially if neuro symptoms
- if severe symptoms (seizures or decreased LOC)
- must partially correct acutely
- aim for increase of Na+ by 1-2 mmol/L/h for 4-6 h
- limit total rise to 8 mmol/L in 24 h
- IV 3% NaCl at 1-2 ml/kg/h
- may need furosemide
- if asymptomatic
- water restrict to <1 L/d fluid intake
- consider IV 0.9% NS + furosemide (reduces urine osmolality, augments excretion of H 2 O)
- consider NaCl tablet
- refractory
- furosemide and oral salt tablets
- oral urea (osmotic aquaresis)
- V2 receptor antagonists (e.g. tolvaptan)
- always pay attention to patient’s ECF volume status – if already volume-expanded, unlikely to give NaCl; if already volume-depleted, almost never appropriate to give furosemide
What is syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) secretion and what are some of the causes?
- urine that is inappropriately concentrated for the serum osmolality
- high urine sodium (>20-40 mmol/L)
- high FENa
Define hypernatraemia?
- hypernatremia: serum [Na+] >145 mmol/L
- too little water relative to total body Na+; always a hyperosmolar state
- usually due to NET water loss, rarely due to hypertonic Na+ gain
- less common than hyponatremia because patients are protected against hypernatremia by thirst and release of ADH
What are the causes of hypernatraemia?
- Decreased fluid intake with normal fluid loss:
- disordered thirst perception e.g. hypothalamic lesion
- inability to communicate water needs, e.g. cerebrovascular accident, infants, elder (dementia, swallowing difficulties, stroke, bed-bound), coma, surgical, intubated pts.
- Hypotonic fluid loss, with water loss in excess of salt loss
- skin loss from excessive sweating in hot climates, dermal burns
- gastrointestinal loss from diarrhoea or vomiting
- renal loss from impaired salt-concentrating ability, e.g. diabetes insipidious, osmotic diuretic agents, hyperglycarmia, hypercalcaemia, chronic renal disease.
- Increased salt load:
- hyperaldosteronism or Cushing’s syndrome
- ingestion of sewater, salt tablets, and administration of sodium bicarbonate or hypertonic saline
What are the signs and symptoms of hypernatraemia?
Signs and symptoms of hypernatraemia are progressive and directly related to theserum osmolality level. Look for:
- Increased thirst, weakness, lethargy and irritability (>375 mOsm/kg)
- Altered mental status, ataxia, tremors and focal neurological signs (>400 mOsm/kg)
- Seizures and coma (>430 mOsm/kg)
What are the complications of hypernatraemia?
- Increased risk of vascular rupture resulting in intracrranial haemorrhage
- rapid correction may lead to cerebral aedema due to congoing bran hyperosmolality.
What Ix used to assess hypernatraemia?
- Blood: FBC, UECs, LFTs and serum osmolality
- ECG and CXR
How is hypernatraemic Tx?
- Give high flow-oxygen via face mask
- general measures for all patients
- give free water (oral or IV)
- treat underlying cause
- monitor serum Na+ frequently to ensure correction is not occurring too rapidly
- if evidence of haemodynamic instability, must first correct volume depletion with NS bolus
- loss of water is often accompanied by loss of Na+ , but a proportionately larger water loss
- use formula to calculate free water H2O deficit and replace
- encourage patient to drink pure water, as oral route is preferred for fluid administration
- if unable to replace PO or NG, correct H2O deficit with hypotonic IV solution (IV D5W, 0.45% NS [half normal saline], or 3.3% dextrose with 0.3% NaCl [“2/3 and 1/3”])
- use formula to estimate expected change in serum Na+ with 1 L infusate
- aim to to lower [Na+] by no more than 12 mmol/L in 24 h (0.5 mmol/L/h)
- must also provide maintenance fluids and replace ongoing losses
- general rule: give 2 ml/kg/h of free water to correct serum [Na+] by about 0.5 mmol/L/h or 12 mmol/L/d
Define diabetes insipidus.
- collecting tubule is impermeable to water due to absence of ADH or impaired response to ADH
- defect in central release of ADH (central DI) or renal response to ADH (nephrogenic DI)
Describe the aetiology of diabetes insipidus?
- central DI: neurosurgery, granulomatous diseases, trauma, vascular events, and malignancy
- nephrogenic DI: lithium (most common), hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, and congenital
How is diabetes insipidus diagnosed?
- Monitor: urine volume
- Bloods:
- Urine osmolality, urine sodium
- Antidiuretic hormone
- UEC
- Water depreivation test - definitive diagnosis
Describe common principles that apply to potassium homeostasis.
- approximately 98% of total body K+ stores are intracellular
- normal serum K+ ranges from 3.5-5.0 mmol/L
- in response to K+ load, rapid removal from ECF is necessary to prevent life-threatening hyperkalemia
- insulin, catecholamines, and acid-base status influence K+ movement into cells
- aldosterone has a minor effect
- potassium excretion is regulated at the distal nephron
- K+ excretion = urine flow rate x urine [K+]