Kidney & Urine (English)

A variety of diseases can affect the kidneys. Of growing importance is diabetic renal failure, where damage to the renal glomeruli results in protein appearing in the urine and eventually loss of glomeruli leading to chronic renal failure. Urinary tract infections are common. Treated early and properly, bladder infections (cystitis) cause little, if any, kidney damage. But chronic bladder infections can result in renal infection and damage, so it is important that cystitis diagnosed corrrectly. Because of their role in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, renal diseases can result in disturbance of body salt and water with edema.

Urine is routinely tested in patients admitted to hospital. Modern testing strips allow screening for a variety of substances whose presence or elevation may signal some underlying renal or systemic health problem. It is essential that Nurses understand and are familiar with these tests.

This experiment studies the Kidney & Urine through six exercises:

1. Bladder capacity
2. Kidney anatomy
3. Urine testing
4. Further urine testing
5. Intravenous pyelogram
6. Abdominal CT Scan

Finally, four simple patient case studies are presented.