NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Creatinine, Acute Kidney Injury, Chronic Kidney Disease
28 Apr 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Renal failure is the partial or complete impairment of kidney function resulting in an inability to excrete metabolic waste products and water. Renal failure causes functional disturbances of all body systems. Renal failure is classified as acute or chronic. Acute renal failure (arf) usually develops over hours or days with progressive elevations of blood urea nitrogen (bun), creatinine, and potassium with or without oliguria. It is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid loss of renal function with progressive azotemia. Arf is often associated with oliguria (a decrease in urinary output to <400 ml/day). The causes of arf are multiple and complex. Causes include prolonged ischemia, nephrotoxins, hemoglobin released from hemolyzed rbcs, or myoglobin released from necrotic muscle cells. Acute tubular necrosis (atn) is an intrarenal condition caused by ischemia, nephrotoxins, or pigments. Atn is potentially reversible if the basement membrane is not destroyed and the tubular epithelium regenerates: postrenal causes involve mechanical obstruction of urinary outflow.
