Anuria – causes, symptoms and treatment of anuria

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Anuria occurs when an adult produces less than 100 ml of urine per day. It is a symptom related to the urinary system and indicates a disturbance in its functioning. Anuria can be caused by both chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury.

Anuria – definition

Anuria (aka anuria) – is a disease of the urinary system which indicates a disturbance in its function. Anuria is a condition in which the patient passes less than 100 ml of urine per day. A healthy person usually passes between 600 ml and 2500 ml of urine per day. This disease is a direct threat to life as a result of poisoning the body with toxic waste products not excreted in the urine. It requires urgent determination of the cause and treatment, most often in hospital. Treatment of anuria is primarily to remove the causes of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, and to treat other accompanying diseases.

Anuria and other urinary symptoms

It is very important to distinguish the symptoms of anuria (anuria) from other diseases of the urinary system that may also indicate pathology. We are talking here about:

1. polyuria (polyuria) – during this disease a person urinates more than 2,5 liters of urine a day. In addition, a great deal of thirst is felt;
2. Oliguria (oliguria) – a person passes less than 500 ml of urine during the day. Oliguria is less severe than anuria;
3. dysuria – a condition characterized by pain and burning when urinating. This disease often occurs with various types of urethral or urinary tract infections.

Causes of anuria

There are two main causes of anuria:

1. Chronic kidney disease that often leads to failure.

2. Acute kidney damage.

Za Main the cause anuria acute kidney injury is considered. In more than half of the cases, this damage leads to anuria during the first two weeks of its duration. Polyuria appears one after the other, and finally the amount of urine output is normalized.

The diagnosis of acute kidney injury is based on the amount of creatinine excreted in the urine. The reasons for this condition are:

– prerenal causes: these include renal vessel obstruction caused by atherosclerosis, thrombus, embolism or aneurysm. In addition, there is less blood circulating due to diarrhea, hemorrhage, antihypertensive drugs and acute pancreatitis. There may be sepsis, polycythemia or myeloma;

– atrophic causes: bladder disorders, obstruction of the ureters (due to kidney stones), prostatic obstruction or prostate cancer, kidney stones that have clogged the urethra, blood clots;

– renal causes: rejection of a transplanted kidney, tubular damage, tubulointerstitial nephritis (due to bacteria and viruses), glomerulonephritis, lupus, hypertension, eclampsia;

Chronic kidney disease this is the second cause of anuria. This condition carries with it an abnormal structure or function of the kidneys that lasts for at least three months. This may be due to polycystic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis or diabetic nephropathy.

Anuria – diagnosis

The diagnosis of anuria and its subsequent treatment depends primarily on its cause. The diagnosis consists in:

1. performing laboratory tests of urine and blood: they are designed to determine how the kidneys work – by checking the level of urea and creatinine, ions and the glomerular filtration rate;
2. imaging tests in the form of X-ray or ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, which visualize the urinary system and its surroundings.

Anuria requires hospitalization. Anuria is so dangerous that it can poison the body with metabolic products or elevated blood ions (high potassium levels in the blood are particularly dangerous, as it can lead to cardiac arrest). During the stay in the hospital, catheterization or suprapubic puncture is necessary. Sometimes it is enough to hydrate the patient well and administer appropriate medications, but sometimes blood transfusion or dialysis therapy is necessary. It must be remembered that the earlier we diagnose anuria, the sooner the appropriate treatment will be implemented!

Anuria – treatment

Treatment of anuria is primarily based on treating the underlying causes, such as acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease. Regardless of the cause of anuria, adhere to the following recommendations:

1. adjust the appropriate dose of the drug to the degree of renal failure;
2. control urine output, record fluid balance;
3. check your body weight daily;
4. adjust the level of protein and carbohydrates in your diet to the degree of kidney damage;
5. check the concentration of potassium, urea, sodium, calcium, kaerinin and take regular blood counts.

Treatment of anuria where acute kidney damage is the cause

Treatment is primarily aimed at relieving heart failure or shock. It is also important to supplement the circulating blood with the help of transfusions or blood products (intravenous fluids can also be given). If there is direct damage to the kidneys, depending on the cause, doctors will prescribe antibiotics, steroids or remove the causative agent (drugs, toxins). In addition, obstacles to the outflow of urine are removed by:

1. tumor excision,
2. removal of nerve stones,
3. foreign body excision,
4. prostate removal.

Acidosis, anemia and electrolyte disturbances should also be treated.

Treatment of anuria when the cause is chronic kidney disease

Therapy is the treatment of comorbidities, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Patients should also avoid taking preparations that can damage the kidneys. In addition, it is important to get vaccinated against influenza, jaundice and pneumococci. When chronic kidney disease is the cause of anuria, renal replacement therapy is considered in the form of hemodialysis, kidney transplantation or peritoneal dialysis.

What is the prognosis for anuria?

Anuria mortality can be as high as 50% if the cause is acute kidney damage. The risk is much higher, especially in the elderly, who also have other conditions, such as respiratory or heart failure. Of course, anuria is not the direct cause of death, but ionic disturbances and various infections. Almost half of the patients who have had acute kidney injury have complications in the form of kidney problems, often ending up with dialysis.

The prognosis for chronic renal failure depends on:

1. accompanying diseases,
2. infections,
3. form and duration of renal replacement therapy,
4. complications of the cardiovascular system.