Urolithiasis is the process of forming stones in the kidney, bladder, and/or urinary tract.1 1,200 to 1,400 per 100,000 people will develop a urinary stone each year. Urinary stones are formed when there is a decrease in urine volume or an excess of stone forming substances are present. The use of diagnostic imaging plays a vital role in the diagnostic and treatment processes of a stone in the urinary track. This paper will discuss the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Urolithiasis.
The urinary tract consists of two kidneys, to ureters, urethra, and the urinary bladder. The urinary system works to remove waste from the body, maintain homeostasis of water, blood pressure, and regulate the body’s pH levels. The kidneys regulate several important internal conditions by excreting substances out into the body. After urine has been produced in the kidneys it is then transported to the urinary bladder via the ureters. The urinary bladder then holds the urine until the body is ready for excretion through the urethra.
Stone forming substances are calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, and amino acid cystine.1 Calcium oxalate stones often occur in patients with excess amount of calcium or oxalate that are not excreted by the body. Calcium phosphate stones are usually linked to hyperparathyroidism. Uric acid stones often occur in patients who have a history of gout, high protein diet, and minimal hydration. Amino acid cystine stones occur in patients with a hereditary disorder that causes their kidneys to excrete too much amino acid.
Stones form in the urinary tract when urine contains more stone forming substances than fluid in the urine that would otherwise dilute these substances. With no set ca...
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... treat and prevent future stone formation.
Among 1,200 to 1,400 per 100,000 people will develop a urinary stone each year.6 Stones can have no set cause, but several factors that increase the risks of a stone forming. Dehydration and diets high in protein, sugar, or salt may increase a person’s likelihood of forming a stone. A patient will often have sharp, cramping pain in the back and side are of the area of the stone within the abdomen. Blood and urine tests along with imaging tests will diagnosis stones within the urinary tract. Treatment for urinary stones will depend on the size of the stone and its cause. Once a stone has formed in the urinary tract a patient has a 50% chance of another stone forming within 5 years if preventive measures are not taken.6 Prevention of Urolithiasis is accomplished with a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.
The kidneys play a major role in the blood composition and volume , the excretion of metabolic wastes in the urine, the control the acid/base balance in the body and the hormone production for maintaining hemostasis. The damages to the GBM in the glomeruli alter filtration process that allows the protein and red blood cells to leak into the urine. Loss of protein like albumin in the urine results in a decrease of their level into the blood stream. Consequently, this patient’s blood reveals a decreased albumin (Alb) value of 2.9 g/dL, decreased serum total protein value of 5 .0 g/dL and in the urine presents of the protein and the RBCs. Impaired filtering capacity result in inability of kidneys to excrete excretory products like electrolytes and metabolic waste products that will then accumulate in the blood. Furthermore, inability of distal convoluted tubules to excrete sufficient quantities of potassium, sodium, magnesium (Mg), chloride (Cl), urea, creatinine (Cr), alkaline phosphatase (Alk Phos), and phosphate (PO4) results in their elevation in the blood. His laboratory values reveal an increased of sodium value of 149 meq/L, an increase of potassium value of 5.4meq/L, increased chloride value of 116 meq/L, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) serum of 143 mg/dL, and increased creatinine serum of 7.14 mg/dL. The other abnormal blood tests associated with a loss of kidneys’ filtration property identify in this patient are related to an increase of alkaline phosphatase value of 178 IU/L, increased magnesium value of 3.8mgdL, and increased phosphate (PO4) value of 5.9 mg/dL .
Conforming to Melmed, Polonsky, Larsen & Kronenberg (2011) the waste products of the blood can form crystals which can collect inside the kidneys and aggregate to form stones. Normally the stones are composed of phosphate, oxalate, uric acid, and magnesium ammonium phosphate, single or combined. The type of stone is determined by the pathogenic mechanisms. When the stones are find in the bladder, ureters, renal tubules and collecting system they tend to be symptomatic. When the urine is oversaturated with the stones constituents the stones are formed. During the passage through the renal tubules the crystals aggregate into stones. In order to allow more time for growth the crystals anchor themselves to the renal tubular epithelium in the renal papillae and Randall’s plaques. The concentration of excreted ions is influenced by the diet. The intake of fluids can reduce the stone formation and growth. A reduction in the sodium int...
Nephrolithiasis or kidney stone formation is a common form of renal disease characterized by crystal deposition in the renal medulla as a result of urinary supersaturation (Worcester and Coe 2009). It is the second most common kidney condition, and kidney stones affect approximately 6-12% of the United States population with the most affected subpopulation being Caucasian males. Nephrolithiasis is considered a systemic disorder that is associated with chronic kidney disease, an increased risk of coronary artery disease, bone loss and fractures, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Sakhaee et al. 2012).
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the urinary tract. The urinary tract is the body's drainage system for removing wastes and extra water. Urinary tract infections can have different names, depending on what part of the urinary tract is infected. The infection can include the bladder, kidneys, ureters, or the urethra. If the infection is in the bladder it is called “cystitis” or a bladder infection. If the infection is in the kidneys is it called “pyelonephritis” or a kidney infection? If the infection is in the urethra it is called “urethritis”. Most urinary tract infections are bladder infections. Infections in the ureters are very rare. Everyone is at risk of getting a UTI allowing bacteria to grow in the urine that stays
. Functions of the urinary system consist of the excretory system in excreting substances, filtering blood plasma to eliminate metabolic wastes and return useful substances to the plasma. It also regulates blood volume by controlling the amount of water in your blood, osmolarity makes sure to maintain fluids in our blood in such that our cells are in isotonic state and pressure. The kidneys secrete two hormones, renin controls the blood pressure and erythropoietin (EPO) causes the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. Metabolic waste in the blood are regulated in the kidneys defaulting the regulation of acid/base balances in the blood by producing urine and becoming acidic.
One of the most common infections that occur in the urinary system is UTIs or Urinary Tract Infection. A UTI is when bacteria gets into the urinary system, either externally or from the digestive tract, and causes pain and irritation in the urinary tract (Friedl, n.d.). UTIs are typically treated with antibiotics. A common disease of the urinary system is incontinence, which is when you lose some or all of your bladder control (Friedl, n.d.). This can also cause retention problems, which is when you have trouble releasing urine from the bladder (Friedl, n.d.). Incontinence can be treated with medication and exercise that can help to retrain the muscle around the bladder and urethra area (Friedl, n.d.). Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome (BPS), is a type of chronic bladder condition that is primarily found in women (Zimmermann, 2016). IC can cause bladder pressure and pain, bladder scarring, and can cause less elasticity in the bladder (Zimmermann, 2016). Another form of inflammation in the urinary system is Prostatitis, the swelling of the prostate gland. Prostatitis is significant in that it only occurs in men and is often caused by advanced age (Zimmermann, 2016). It is generally cured by antibiotics. Kidney stones are an extremely painful condition that occurs in the urinary system when chemicals in the urine become
A tube is placed through the bladder which facilitates draining of urine from your kidney. And so even the small stones get eliminated through it.There
Nephrolithiasis is a disorder where calcium crystals form in the kidneys obstructing normal function due to certain mineral content in the urine. These stones are termed kidney stones or renal calculi (Chabner, 2007). Stones may become lodged in the ureter, bladder, or renal pelvis. This disease is more common in men, and can be a side effect from other disorders or due to an individual’s dietary intake (Preminger, 2007). Most kidney stones can pass unnoticed, but when they reach approximately 3mm they begin to induce severe pain due to dilation of renal pelvis and spasms in the ureter (Preminger, 2007).
Kidney stones mostly occur in men, and can cause the most painful experience to a man in his life. This is called Renal colic, and is often compared to the pain of delivering a baby. Kidney stones cause a blockage in the ureter, which causes several problems to the bladder. It is mostly just pain and it blocking urine from flowing, however bleeding does also occur. Symptoms are severe pain in the groin area, infection, and inflammation.
A urinary tract infection is a very common infection that can happen to anybody. A urinary tract infection usually occurs when bacteria enters the urethra and multiples in the urinary system. The Urinary tract includes the kidneys, the thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), and the main tube that carries the urine from the bladder (urethra). Women, men, and children are all immune to this infection. Women have the highest chances of getting it. In the Urinary tract, the main links of the ureters help get rid of any bacteria that tries to enter the urine, and the bladder helps prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys.
There are several symptoms of kidney stones. One is slowly increasing pain in the lower back and pelvis area, eventually leading to the groin. A constant urge to urinate is also a symptom. One of the more obvious ones is blood in th...
Kidney Function Introduction and definition of terms: The kidneys are the main organs in the urinary system. They filter waste products out of blood from the renal artery. These are then excreted. Useful solutes are reabsorbed into the blood. They also have a major homeostatic role in the body, and help to control the water content (osmoregulation) and pH of the blood.
Those who consume too much salt, too much fat, and find it hard to empty their bladder because they’re too busy with work are more likely to develop kidney stones. If you want to rectify this scenario, you can begin by working out regularly and drinking lots of water. Doing so can help you flush your system more effectively and control the inception of kidney stones. Sweating during your workout leads the body to ask for more liquid. The more hydrated you are, the more flushed your kidneys become.
Comprising of the kidneys, ureter, bladder and urethra, the urinary system is responsible for the filtration, reabsorption and/or removal of dissolved organic substances and materials from the human blood stream. Fed directly by the aortic and superior vena cava blood vessels, the kidneys are the first point of the urinary system. The kidneys produce the urine which drains into, and is stored in the bladder through the ureter before being excreted through the urethra as waste, and out of the body. On average, the human bladder can hold approximately 500ml of urine before conscious waste release is necessary. Positioned within the lower rear quadrant of the abdominal cavity, and protected to some extent by the lower rib cage, the kidneys are roughly the size of a human fist and are oval shaped.
...people who eat a lot of protein and people who get kidney stones. Another link between peoples diets and kidney stones is salt. Eating too much salt increases the amount of calcium in our urine which in turn makes the risk of a kidney stone develop increase. Not only is it what we eat but also the amount that we eat. If we eat our portions in moderation and eat the right things, we will have less of a chance of developing kidney stones.