Renal Disorders

Introduction

In the human body, the kidneys have several functions including (but not limited to) the maintenance of fluid volume, the acid-base status of the bloodstream, and the excretion of certain substances. When the body is low on fluid (dehydrated) the kidneys conserve water. Likewise, if the body has an excess amount of fluid, it increases its excretion to decrease the overload. In addition, many substances, such as drugs (metabolized and un-metabolized), are excreted by the kidneys as a mechanism of ridding them from the bloodstream. In fact, if the kidneys are not functioning normally, the amount of drug taken should be altered. Finally, the kidneys are involved with the body's acid-base status through their excretion and absorption of certain solutes and electrolytes. Therefore, because of these important bodily functions, it is imperative that a good foundation is obtained regarding some of the abnormalities that may develop in the renal system.

Renal Disorder

The most common infection of the kidney is pyelonephritis. Though many different microorganisms can infect the urinary tract, gram-negative bacteria are the most common. For the gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) accounts for about 80% of the infections. Other common bacteria include Proteus, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter. Proteus can produce a substance called urease and Klebsiella can produce extracellular polysaccharides, which can predispose to stone formation. Therefore, these infections are more often seen in the presence of calculi.

Under normal conditions, bacteria that gain access to the bladder are diluted and then flushed as the person voids. In addition, for most people, urine has antibacterial properties that can often prevent an infection from developing. However, there can be circumstances that develop, which predispose and individual to becoming infected. To begin with, these infections are more common in women than in men. In fact, over 5 million office visits by ...