How to diagnose uremia

Written by Sun Chun
Urology
Updated on September 18, 2024
00:00
00:00

Uremia primarily refers to high levels of creatinine in the blood. Generally, a creatinine blood test can be used to evaluate kidney function, thus diagnosing whether the kidneys are in a compensatory stage, in a chronic stage, or during a period of uremia. Renal insufficiency, which causes uremia, has specific causes. It is essential to determine whether the causes are renal or post-renal by performing routine urinary system CT scans to identify any obstructions, stones, or space-occupying lesions that may lead to hydronephrosis and a decline in renal function. Other internal medical diseases, such as chronic nephritis syndrome and kidney disease, can also lead to increased creatinine levels. In such cases, renal biopsy and pathology are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Once an individual reaches the uremic stage, the overall condition tends to deteriorate, characterized by fatigue, anorexia, and weight loss. Additional issues include toxin accumulation in the body leading to anemia and various other problems, including gastrointestinal issues and reduced digestive capacity resulting in loss of appetite. When the aforementioned symptoms occur, there generally are only two treatment options: dialysis to filter out the toxins or, if an appropriate kidney source is available and economically feasible, kidney transplantation can be considered.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Feng Fei
Urology
37sec home-news-image

Why would someone get uremia?

Uremia, also known as end-stage renal failure, has many causes. Common surgical conditions include urological obstructions such as urethral blockage, kidney tumors, malformations, kidney cancer, and others, as well as numerous kidney cysts, all of which can lead to renal failure. Common internal medicine causes include chronic glomerulonephritis, long-standing hypertension, hypertensive nephropathy, diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, etc., which can also lead to renal failure. In summary, end-stage renal failure is referred to as uremia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Guan Hai Fang
Urology
48sec home-news-image

Is uremia cancer?

Uremia is not cancer. Chronic kidney failure refers to the presence of various kidney diseases that lead to a progressive and irreversible decline in kidney function, culminating in a series of symptoms and metabolic disorders that form a clinical syndrome, commonly known as chronic kidney failure. The end stage of chronic kidney failure is what is often referred to as uremia. Uremia is not a separate disease, but a clinical syndrome common to various late-stage kidney diseases. It is a symptom consisting of a series of clinical manifestations that occur when chronic kidney failure enters its terminal stage. Typically, this includes disturbances in water and electrolyte acid-base metabolism, with metabolic acidosis and water-electrolyte imbalance being the most common.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
36sec home-news-image

What causes uremia?

Uremia is very common in clinical practice. It is mainly caused by abnormal kidney functions, leading to abnormalities in glomerular filtration, as well as in the reabsorption and secretion functions of the renal tubules, which results in a series of symptoms. Once uremia occurs, it can disrupt the internal environment of the body, cause electrolyte abnormalities, and even lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. Uremia is very dangerous in clinical practice and often requires regular hemodialysis treatment. Therefore, once uremia occurs, medical attention must be sought promptly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
40sec home-news-image

Can holding urine lead to uremia?

Holding urine will not cause uremia. Holding urine may lead to bladder fullness, and after a long time, it might cause dilation of the ureters, but it will not lead to uremia. Uremia is caused by renal insufficiency or end-stage renal failure, characterized by significantly increased creatinine and urea nitrogen in the patient's body, with reduced urine output or even anuria. Once uremia is diagnosed, it generally requires hospitalization for dialysis treatment, which involves removing toxins from the body through dialysis. Additionally, it is advised to consume nutritionally rich foods in daily life.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
51sec home-news-image

Does uremia transmit to others?

Uremia is not contagious to others because it is not an infectious disease. Uremia is a severe renal failure, so patients with uremia can interact, communicate, live, work, and study with healthy people without the need for gastrointestinal or respiratory isolation. Normally, if a patient with uremia is stable, they can engage in sexual activities and the disease will not be transmitted through sexual contact. Uremia usually presents symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, edema, and increased blood pressure. Therefore, patients with uremia need to undergo dialysis treatment. They can choose either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Dialysis treatment can significantly improve the symptoms of uremia and enhance the quality of life of the patients.