Friday, June 5, 2009

Risk factors/Predisposing factors

Acute Renal Failure
  • Advanced age
  • Chrinic infection
  • Diabetes

Diabetes can also damage the kidneys because it may cause:

—fhigh blood pressure
—fhardening of the arteries
—fdamage to the nerves that control the bladder, making it difficult to know when you need to urinate
- repeated urinary tract infections (Bacteria grow rapidly in urine with a high sugar level.)
  • High blood pressure
-If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can damage the kidneys by causing the blood vessels of the kidneys to become thickened and rigid
-This reduces the blood supply, which destroys kidney tissue and significantly impairs the kidneys' ability to cleanse the blood and balance body chemicals
  • Kidney diseases
  • Liver diseases
  • Prostate gland enlargement
f—can block the normal flow of urine, and cause the urine to back up into the kidney
  • Bladder outlet obstruction
Obstructions, or blockages, can occur anywhere within the urinary system from the kidney itself to the ureter, bladder or urethra. Some of the causes of blockage
qkidney stones
qan enlarged prostate gland in men
q tumours or blood clots

Even when a blockage is only partial, damage can still occur.

Kidney Stones

- Kidney stones are not a major cause of kidney failure. However, recurrent kidney stones can cause damage to the kidney tissue and contribute to kidney failure

- Most stones begin when a tiny particle of solid material is deposited in calycesà more and more materials are added to the initial pebbleà it enlarges to become a stone.

f —Also, stones often make it easier to get infections in the urinary tract. If have repeated infections and/or scarring from kidney stones, the damage could contribute to decreased kidney function.

Chronic Renal Failure

  • Diabetes
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Bladder outlet obstruction
  • Lupus Erythematosus
This condition is known as an autoimmune disease. Normally, the body's immune system makes proteins, called antibodies, which protect the body against infections and foreign materials, called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder, the immune system begins to destroy own tissues and organs because it cannot tell the difference between a foreign substance and the tissue of your body
family history and environmental factors (e.g., infections, viruses, and toxic chemicals) may play key roles
  • Chronic Glomerulonephritis
-—This disease causes inflammation of the part of the kidney that filters the blood, the glomeruli
—-Glomerulonephritis may be acute or chronic
—-Acute glomerulonephritis usually develops suddenly, often following an infection in the throat (such as strep throat) or on the skin. The problem usually is related to a malfunction in the immune system. The antibodies produced by the body to fight the infection persist after the bacteria have been destroyed, and these antibodies begin to damage the kidneys.
  • Congenital Kidney disease
These defects can range from absence of one or both kidneys to abnormalities in the position, form, size or structure of the kidneys and other parts of the urinary system.
most common congenital problems
vdefects in the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder)
vurethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder during urination)

These defects can block the normal flow of urine, causing urine to back up, or "reflux" to the kidneys. These problems are among the more common causes of kidney failure in children

  • Family history of kidney disease
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
÷The adult type, which is called autosomal dominant PKD, or ADPKD, occurs when an abnormal gene is inherited from one parent. The childhood variety, which is called autosomal recessive PKD, or ARPKD, occurs when both parents pass an abnormal gene to the child.
—-Polycystic kidney disease is characterized by the growth of cysts (soft, fluid filled sacs) that form in the kidney and other organs, such as the liver and pancreas. Outpouchings may also occur in the large intestine and blood vessels of the brain.
-—The cysts enlarge over time, and eventually, they can replace the kidney tissue, reducing kidney function and, in some cases, leading to kidney failure. The kidneys enlarge as the cysts enlarge, and they can weigh more than 20 pounds toward the end of the process.
Alport Syndrome
—-inherited form of kidney inflammation (nephritis)
—-mutation in a gene for a protein in connective tissue, called collagen
—-genetic condition characterized by kidney disease, hearing loss, and eye abnormalities
-—most often affects males
  • Urinary Tract Infections
occur when bacteria get into the urinary tract and cause symptoms such as pain, fever and an increased need to urinate. Usually, these infections remain in the bladder, but they sometimes spread to the kidney.
  • Exposure to drugs and toxins
Using large amounts of certain pain relievers may cause a risk of kidney damage called analgesic nephropathy. This is especially true for pain relievers that combine more than one active ingredient in one pill.
The kidneys get direct exposure to antibiotics because they are the pathway for eliminating these drugs from the body. The longer the kidneys are exposed to the drugs and the higher the dosages, the greater the chance of possible kidney damage
Certain chemicals, drugs, or other substances can also harm the kidneys. These are called nephrotoxins.
Industrial areas may be a source of environmental nephrotoxins, such as heavy metals (lead, cadmium, bismuth, arsenic, copper and mercury), carbon tetrachloride, ethylene glycol, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Snake venom and certain mushrooms can also destroy kidney tissue.

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