Canonical Question
Renal – Dysfunction
Master answer
Water
- Hypervolaemia may occur if oliguric renal failure
Electrolytes
- Renal failure can retard the kidneys ability to eliminate excess potassium
- Hyperkalaemia
- Sodium relatively preserved
- Acid-Base balance
- Approx. 80mEq/day of non-volatile acids require elimination daily
- Renal failure leads to progressive acidosis due to loss of buffering ability and limiting urinary pH of 4.5
- Loss of renal compensation of respiratory acid/base disturbances
- Approx. 80mEq/day of non-volatile acids require elimination daily
- Renal conversion of 25-hydroxy Vit.D to 1,25,-dihydroxy Vit D promotes GI reabsorption of Ca à lost in renal dysfunction leading to hypocalcaemia and hypophosphataemia
Proteins
- Damage to the glomerular basement membrane (Goodpasture’s Disease, other causes of nephrotic syndrome) can lead to renal elimination of protein and loss of plasma proteins due to increased glomerular filtration
- The kidney’s eliminate nitrogenous waste products of protein metabolism (urea), and uricaemia occurs in renal failure
Other
- Creatinine
- Metabolite of creatine phosphate, generated at constant rate, and eliminated renally. Increases in renal failure
- Only after 75% loss of functional nephrons
- Decreased production of Erythropoietin
- Parathyroid hormone increased due to hypocalcaemia
Sakurai 2016
Exam appearances
| Exam | Exact wording | Relationship | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012B Q19 | Describe the changes that occur in the plasma with renal dysfunction. | historical_member | — |