What distinguishes a prerenal cause of acute kidney injury?

Its initiating problem is reduced blood perfusion to the kidneys rather than direct tissue damage or blocked urine outflow.

Postrenal kidney injury mechanism

The initiating problem is obstruction of urine outflow downstream of renal filtration, such as a blocked collecting or urinary passage.

Intrinsic kidney tissue injury

The initiating insult directly damages kidney tissue, such as tubular epithelial injury, rather than being solely a perfusion deficit or an outflow obstruction.

Reduced renal creatinine excretion

If the kidneys filter and excrete creatinine less effectively, it accumulates in blood. This explains the direction of change without making a diagnosis from one isolated result.

In which direction does glomerular filtration move fluid?

Water and sufficiently small solutes move from glomerular capillary blood across the filtration barrier into Bowman's capsular space.

Flashcard deck

Renal Foundations — Flashcards

Renal Foundations50 cardsBeginnerEnglish

A flashcard deck with 50 cards in renal foundations, made by Prognia.

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50 flashcards: 12 concept-explanation, 14 term-definition, 14 classic-qa, 5 cloze, 5 compare-contrast. Introductory Renal Foundations contains 50 flashcards and 50 quizzes on kidney position, cortex and medulla, nephrons, renal corpuscles, podocytes and collecting anatomy; glomerular filtration and opposing pressure forces; local autoregulation and renin; tubular reabsorption, secretion and sodium-linked transport; descending and ascending limb properties and countercurrent concentration; ADH, aldosterone, renin-angiotensin and natriuretic peptide physiology; acid excretion, bicarbonate, urinary buffers, calcium and vitamin D handling; ureteric peristalsis, bladder and sphincter control; and qualitative prerenal, intrarenal, postrenal and impaired creatinine-excretion mechanisms. Twenty-five covered objectives and atomic concepts support targeted feedback and recommendations. No drug therapy, dose, diagnostic cutoff, lab reference range, patient-specific management or national clinical rule is assessed. This foundational set does not establish clinical competency.