URINARY SYSTEM

 

FUNCTIONS OF THE RENAL SYSTEM

 

REMOVE WASTES, E.G., UREA

 

MAINTAIN WATER AND ELECTROLYTE BALANCE, E.G., Na⁺, Cl⁺, HCO₃

 

 

KIDNEY MAINTAINS PROPER BALANCE BY SECRETING SOME SUBSTANCES INTO THE URINE AND HOLDING OTHERS BACK IN THE BLOODSTREAM TO BE USED BY THE BODY.

 

ACTS AS AN ENDOCRINE ORGAN BY SECRETING

 

 

            RENIN - HELPS CONTROL BLOOD PRESSURE

 

 

            ERYTHROPOIETIN - (SUBSTANCE THAT FORMS RED BLOOD CELLS); A HORMONE THAT REGULATES RBC PRODUCTION

 

 

            VITAMIN D - REQUIRED FOR ABSORPTION OF CALCIUM FROM THE INTESTINE

URINALYSIS: EXAMINATION OF URINE

 

 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

 

COLOR

 

TRANSPARENCY

 

 

CHEMICAL TESTS       NORMAL                        ABNORMAL COND

PROTEIN                       NEGATIVE                      GLOMERULAR  

                                                                                 DAMAGE,

                                                                                 INFECTION,

                                                                                 STONES.

GLUCOSE                     NEGATIVE                       DIABETES 

                                                                                 MELLITUS

 

BILIRUBIN                    NEGATIVE                      LIVER DISEASE,

                                                                         EXCESS HEMOLYSIS                                                                                                 

 

MICROSCOPIC EXAM

 

PUS (WBCs)                                                           INFECTION

 

BLOOD (RBCs)                                                      UTI, STONES,     

                                                                                CA

 

BACTERIA                                                             INFECTION

PATHOLOGY OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

 

THE KIDNEY

 

 

            GLOMERULONEPHRITIS - INFLAMMATION OF THE BALLS OF CAPILLARIES IN THE KIDNEY.  ETIOLOGY OFTEN IDIOPATHIC; CAN OCCUR FOLLOWING A STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION.  SYMPTOMS INCLUDE BACKACHE, MALAISE, ALBUMINEMIA, HEMATURIA, OLIGURIA, RENAL FAILURE

 

            NEPHROLITHIASIS - KIDNEY STONES, RENAL CALCULI

 

            POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY - MASSIVE ENLARGEMENT OF KIDNEY(S) FROM CYST FORMATION.  HEREDITARY.  CAN CAUSE NEPHROMEGALY, UTI, HYPERTENSION, UREMIA.

 

            PYELONEPHRITIS - BACTERIAL INFLAMMATION OF RENAL PELVIS, MAINLY IN WOMEN.  SYMPTOMS: FREQUENCY, DYSURIA, PYURIA, BACTERIURIA, PROTEINURIA, POSSIBLY HEMATURIA.

 

            RENAL CELL CARCINOMA - MALIGNANT TUMOR OF KIDNEY.  OFTEN METASTAZIZES.

 

            RENAL FAILURE - ANURIA/OLIGURIA FROM INCREASED NITROGENOUS WASTES (AZOTEMIA). FATAL IF UNTREATED.

 

             

ASSOCIATED CONDITION - DIABETES MELLITUS  ETIOLOGY - INADEQUATE SECRETION OR IMPROPER UTILIZATION OF INSULIN.  SYMPTOMS: HYPERGLYCEMIA, GLYCOSURIA, POLYURIA, POLYDIPSIA.

 

 

LABORATORY TESTS AND CLINICAL PROCEDURES

 

 

LABORATORY TESTS:

BUN - MEASURES THE AMOUNT OF UREA (WASTE) IN THE BLOOD.  INCREASED WHEN THE KIDNEY IS DISEASED OR FAILS

 

CLINICAL PROCEDURES:

 

            X-RAYS

                        CT SCANS - SEE TEXT

 

                        INTRAVENOUS PYELOGRAM (IVP) - CONTRAST MEDIUM INJECTED IN A VEIN, IS FILTERED FROM THE KIDNEY INTO THE URINE.  DETERMINES RENAL FUNCTION AND SHOWS CYSTS, TUMORS, STONES, ETC.

 

                        RENAL ANGIOGRAPHY - IV INJECTION OF CONTRAST MEDIUM TO VISUALIZE RENAL BLOOD VESSELS.

 

 

            ULTRASONOGRAPHY - SEE TEXT

 

            RADIOACTIVE (RADIOISOTOPE STUDIES) - SEE TEXT

            MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) -

 

 

 

            CYSTOSCOPY - SEE TEXT

 

            DIALYSIS

 

                        HEMODIALYSIS - WASTE REMOVED FROM PATIENT'S BLOOD BY PASSING BLOOD THROUGH AN ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY MACHINE.

 

                        PERITONEAL DIALYSIS - SPECIAL FLUID IS PUT INTO THE PERITONEAL (ABDOMINAL) CAVITY TO REMOVE WASTES.  (SEE DIAGRAM)

 

            EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE (LITHOTRIPSY)- EXTERNAL SHOCK WAVES CRUSH STONES IN THE URINARY TRACT

 

            RENAL BIOPSY - SEE TEXT

 

            URINARY CATHETERIZATION - PASS FLEXIBLE TUBE INTO URETER TO:

·        DRAIN URINE FROM BLADDER

·        INFLATE BLADDER

·        IRRIGATE BLADDER

 

            RENAL TRANSPLANTATION - NEED TISSUE MATCH, SEE TEXT