Week 2 Flashcards
Myeloma - signs and symptoms (including classical presentation)
Classical presentation - back pain and renal failure
Signs
- Anaemia
- Hypercalcaemia
- Renal failure
- Amyloidosis
- Recurrent renal infections
Symptoms
- Bone pain
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Weakness
CKD - symptoms
Uraemia
- nausea and vomiting
- anorexia and weight loss
- fatigue
- itch
- altered taste
- restless legs and muscle twitching
- difficulty concentrating and confusion
Anaemia
- fatigue
- muscle weakness
Pain
- bony
- neuropathic
- ischaemic
- visceral
Minimal Change Nephropathy is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children/adults
What is the target in minimal change? What are the investigations and treatment?
Does this condition cause progressive renal failure?
Minimal Change Nephropathy is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children
The podocyte is the target of an unknown antigen and antibody
Investigations - light microscopy and immunofluorescence of renal biopsy will appear normal, but electromicroscopy will show foot process fusion of podocytes
Treatment - 94% have complete remission with oral steroids. Second-line is cyclophosphamide
No, this condition does NOT cause progressive renal failure
Renal Artery Stenosis - diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis
- Clinical history - e.g. patient will be a little older and likely have signs of general atherosclerosis
- Imaging
- Renal USS
- CT/MR/Conventional angiography
Treatment
- Pharmacological - Statins, antiplatelets, ACE inhibitors
- Surgical intervention - angioplasty +/- stenting
What are some of the life-threatening complications of an AKI?
Hyperkalaemia
Fluid overload (resulting in pulmonary oedema)
Severe acidosis (pH <7.15)
Uraemic pericardial effusion
Severe uraemia (Ur >40)
If dysmorphic red cells were noted on urinoscopy, where would the bleeding likely be coming from?

Bleeding likely coming from the kidneys themselves - dysmorphic appearance is due to the red cells being squeezed through the tubules at the glomerulus
If the blood cells were normal, the bleeding would be likely from a structure further down the renal system e.g. the bladder
GN treatment - what are some of the non-immunosuppressive options?
Anti-hypertensives (target of <130/80, or <120/75 if proteinuria)
ACE inhibitors/ARBs to reduce both BP and proteinuria
Diuretics if the patient is fluid overloaded
Statins if the patient has hypercholesterolaemia
Anticoagulants/Aspirin/Antiplatelets?
Some evidence for Omega 3 fatty acids and fish oil
What % of patients with lupus will have associated renal dysfunction, and what is the most commonly seen sign?
Up to 50% of patients with SLE will present with renal involvement, and up to 60% will develop it over the course of their condition
Most frequently observed abnormality is proteinuria
What type of vasculitides to nephrologists typically deal with?
small-vessel e.g. MPA/GPA/eGPA

What gene and on what chromosome is involved in ARPKD?
What is the classical presentation?
PKDH1 on chromosome 6
Classic presentation is young children and a constant association with hepatic lesions.
Kidneys are always palpable
Again, hypertension is common
Patients also experience recurrent UTIs
What are the two types of reabsorption that can occur?
Transcellular
Paracellular, using the tight junctions

How is Pre-Renal AKI treated?
1) Assess hydration of patient
- Clinical observations (BP, HR and urinary output)
- JVP, cap refill time, oedema
- Pulmonary oedema
2) Fluid challenge for hypovolaemia
- Crystalloid (0.9% NaCl) or Colloid (Gelofusin)
- NB - do not use 5% dextrose
- Give a fluid bolus, then reassess and continue as necessary
- Seek help if over 1,000 mls given and no improvement
When leaving the proximal tubule, what is the osmolarity of the tubular fluid?
300 mosmol/l
The tubular fluid is iso-osmotic with the surrounding interstitial fluid
Give some examples of substances that are a) reabsorbed and b) secreted in the proximal tubule
Reabsorbed in the PT
- sugars
- amino acids
- phosphate
- sulphate
- lactate
Secreted in the PT
- H+
- Hippurates
- Neurotransmitters
- Bile pigments
- Uric acid
- Drugs e.g. atropine, morphine, penicillin etc.
- Toxins

Where is aldosterone secreted from?
When is it secreted?
What effect does it have?
Secreted from the adrenal cortex
Secreted in response to rising K+ or falling Na+ in the blood, or in response to activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
Stimulates Na+ reabsorption (= increased blood volume and pressure) and K+ secretion

Diabetic nephropathy - diagnosis (also, what is the earliest clinical sign?)
Long history of diabetes (this is not an acute condition!)
Presence of albuminuria/proteinuria (NB - earliest sign is microalbuminuria)
Presence of other diabetic complications e.g. retinopathy, ulcers etc.
Renal impairment (late finding, not a good sign)
NB - need to regularly screen diabetic patients for microalbuminuria and closely monitor renal function

CKD - signs
Anaemia -> pallor
Weight loss
Advanced uraemia
- jaundice
- twitching
- encephalopathy
- confusion
- flapping tremor
- pericardial rub/haemorrhagic pericardial effusion
- Kussmaul breathing (due to metabolic acidosis)
How is glomerulonephritis classified histologically?
Proliferative or non-proliferative (usually referring to the presence or absence of proliferation of mesangial cells)
Focal/Diffuse - are more or less than 50% of the glomeruli affected?
Global/Segmental - is all or part of the glomerulus affected?
Crescentic - presence of a crescent shape of endothelial cells around the glomerulus e.g. RPGN in vasculitis
What confounding factors are taken into account when calculating the estimated GFR (eGFR)?
Sex
Age
Ethnicity
What are the three categories of renal tubular dysfunction? Give an example of each
Pre-renal (reduced renal perfusion) - blood loss/hypovolaemia
Renal (intrinsic kidney tissue damage) - glomerulonephritis or nephrotoxins
Post-renal (ureteric/urethral obstruction) - stones or malignancy

What is the most common form of glomerulonephritis globally?
How might it present?
What other condition is it associated with?
IgA nephropathy is the most common GN in the world
May have asymptomatic microhaematuria, with or without proteinuria
This may become macroscopic haematuria, especially if the patient has recently suffered from a resp/GI infection (due to excess IgA being deposited in the kidney)
IgA nephropathy is associated with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
What substances do the kidneys (usually) reabsorb?
- fluid (99%)
- salt (99%)
- glucose (100%)
- amino acids (100%)
- urea (50%)
- creatinine (0%)
When determining urine protein, what is the gold standard test?
What tends to be done instead? Why?
What are the cutoffs for grading proteinuria based on this other test?
24 hour urine collection is the gold standard (normally <150mg/24 hours)
Instead, urine protein/creatinine ratio tends to be used (50mg/mmol, ~0.5g/24 hours). This is because it can be done on the spot and is easier on patients, however it only gives an indication and so is not the gold standard
Asymptomatic/low grade proteinuria - urine protein/creatinine ratio of <1 g/day
Heavy proteinuria - urine protein/creatinine ratio of 1-3 g/day
Nephrotic range - urine protein/creatinine ratio of > 3g/day
Clinical scenario - 24 year old man incidentally found to have ++ blood and + protein on dip, BP 148/92
Protein quantified at 0.7g/day, creatinine 72
What glomerular cells are likely to be affected?
Mesangial cells - slow, gradual process and red cells are present




















