Chronic renal failure
From Wikipedia
Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a slowly progressive loss of renal function over a period of months or years. In medicine (nephrology) renal function is an indication of the state of the kidney and its role in physiology. ...
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Signs and symptoms
Initially it is without symptoms. As the kidney functions less: Kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ...
- blood pressure is increased (leading to hypertension)
- urea accumulates, leading to uremia (lethargy and encephalopathy)
- potassium accumulates, leading to malaise and cardiac arrhythmias
- erythropoietin synthesis is decreased (leading to anemia)
- vitamin D3 synthesis is impaired (leading to renal osteodystrophy and secondary hyperparathyroidism)
- fluid balance disturbances are generally mild.
CRF patients suffer from accelerated atherosclerosis, mostly due to hypercholesterolemia. Coagulation is often disrupted, leading to a prothrombotic state (a high likelihood of developing thrombosis). Pericarditis occurs at an increased rate in CRF patients. Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. ... In medicine, hypertension refers to the problem of abnormally high blood pressure. ... Urea Urea is an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, with the formula CON2H4 and the structure: In some animals, the individual atoms of urea come from carbon dioxide, water, aspartate and ammonia in a metabolic pathway known as the urea cycle, an anabolic process. ... Uremia is a toxic condition resulting from renal failure, when kidney function is compromised and urea, a waste product normally excreted in the urine, is retained in the blood. ... Encephalopathy is a container term for various conditions affecting the brain. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1(IA), 4 , s Density, Hardness 856 kg/m3, 0. ... Malaise is a term used to refer to a general state of discomfort, tiredness, or illness. ... A cardiac arrhythmia, also called cardiac dysrhythmia, is a disturbance in the regular rhythm of the heartbeat. ... Erythropoietin (or EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone It is a growth factor hormone for erythrocyte (red blood cell) precursors in the bone marrow. ... Anemia ( American English) or anaemia ( Commonwealth English), which literally means without blood, is a lack of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. ... Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. ... In medicine (endocrinology), hyperparathyroidism is overactivity of the parathyroid glands and excess production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). ... Atherosclerosis is a disease of arterial blood vessels. ... Hypercholesterolemia (literally: high blood cholesterol) is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. ... Coagulation is the thickening or congealing of any liquid into solid clots. ... Thrombosis is the formation of a clot or thrombus inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. ... Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium. ...
Diagnosis
In many CRF patients, previous renal disease or other underlying diseases are already known. A small number presents with CRF of unknown cause. In these patients, a cause is occasionally identified retrospectively.
Causes
- IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
- Glomerulonephritis (chronic or severe acute cases)
- Nephrotic syndrome (longstanding)
- Hypertension
- Diabetes mellitus (all types, dependant on duration and glycemic control)
- Amyloid
- Lupus erythematosus (lupus nephritis)
- more to be added
IgA nephritis (also known as Bergers disease and synpharyngitic glomerulonephritis) is a form of glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney). ... Glomerulonephritis - A primary or secondary autoimmune renal disease. ... Nephrotic syndrome is a disorder where the kidneys have been damaged, causing them to leak protein from the blood into the urine. ... In medicine, hypertension refers to the problem of abnormally high blood pressure. ... Diabetes mellitus is a medical disorder characterized by varying or persistent hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels), especially after eating. ... Amyloid describes various types of protein aggregations that share specific traits when examined microscopically. ... Lupus erythematosus (also known as systemic lupus erythematosus - SLE) is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies are created against the patients own DNA. It classically presents with a butterfly-shaped malar rash, causing a wolf-like appearance (Lupus is Latin for wolf). ...
Treatment
CRF cannot be treated apart from by renal transplant. In the period usually required to find a transplant, dialysis (renal function replacement therapy) is the only way to clear waste products from the blood that are usually excreted through the urine (urea, potassium). Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney in a patient with chronic renal failure. ... In medicine, dialysis is a method for removing waste such as urea from the blood when the kidneys are incapable of this, i. ... Urea Urea is an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, with the formula CON2H4 and the structure: In some animals, the individual atoms of urea come from carbon dioxide, water, aspartate and ammonia in a metabolic pathway known as the urea cycle, an anabolic process. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1(IA), 4 , s Density, Hardness 856 kg/m3, 0. ...
Replacement of erythropoietin and vitamin D3, two hormones processed by the kidney, is usually necessary, as is calcium. Erythropoietin (or EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone It is a growth factor hormone for erythrocyte (red blood cell) precursors in the bone marrow. ...
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. ...
See also Calcium, New York, United States. ...
External links
Chronic renal failure in Yahoo Health (http://health.yahoo.com/ency/adam/000471/overview|)
