MANAGING ACUTE UREMIA: MORE THAN FLUIDS

摘要

Uremia refers to clinical signs associated with azotemia. Azotemia means increased levels of nitrogen containing compounds ("azo-") in the blood ("-emia"). Uremia and azotemia may occur due to prerenal, renal, or postrenal causes. In a patient with azotemia, the NEXT step is to evaluate a urine specific gravity. There is no "normal" urine specific gravity; rather, the "appropriateness" of the urine specific gravity should be evaluated in light of azotemia and the patient. With prerenal azotemia, theurine specific gravity should be appropriately concentrated. With renal azotemia, the urine specific gravity will be inappropriately dilute. And with postrenal azotemia, the urine specific gravity may be dilute or concentrated depending on the cause of the azotemia and duration of the postrenal disease. Anorooriate urine concentration is a specific gravity > 1.035 in dogs and 1.040 in cats.