see also:

• renal physiology
• urinalysis
• pathology tests - urea and creatinine
• acute renal failure (ARF)
• chronic renal failure
• acute renal tubular necrosis
• diuretics
• hypertension
• haematuria
• nephrotic syndrome
• glomerulonephritis (GN)
• renal colic
• renal calculi
• acute pyelonephritis
• urinary tract infections (UTIs) / cystitis
• renal malignancies
• renal tubular acidosis
• the dialysis patient in the ED
• suspected peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients
• Western Health renal medicine policies and procedures
• kidney.org.au
• Aust Presc 2007 - Prescribing in renal disease
• eGFR - a measure of renal function

• many drugs implicated
• dose-related direct nephrotoxicity:
  • amphotericin B, gentamicin
• hypersensitivity
  • penicillins, sulphonamides
• obstructive uropathy due to crystal formation
  • sulphonamides
• osmotic nephrosis
  • low Mw dextran
• tetracyclines
  • 2 mechanisms:
    • renal failure
    • Fanconi syndrome

• see nephrotic syndrome

• analgesic abuse

• methysergide, ergotamine, methyldopa

• increased protein breakdown eg corticosteroids
• electrolyte disturbance
• nephrocalcinosis eh. vitamin D overdosage
• renal calculi - eg. milk-alkali syndrome
• urate nephropathy - eg. cytotoxins for neoplasia / cancer / tumours
• impaired urine-concentrating ability eg. lithium carbonate
• syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH)

• renal pelvis mesothelial tumour eg. analgesics

• chronic glomerulonephritis (GN) - regular outline
• chronic acute pyelonephritis - irregular outline
• other chronic nephropathy eg. interstitial nephritis
• renal artery stenosis
• atrophy following chronic obstruction
• congenital renal hypoplasia

• polycystic kidney disease
• solitary cyst
• hydronephrosis
• hypernephroma
• hypertrophy following contralateral nephrectomy or failure
• nephrotic syndrome
• acute acute pyelonephritis
• compulsive water, beer or cider drinker
• peri-renal haematoma