Renal physiology clearance problem

[c3real]

Homework Statement

A patient with a renal disease had a plasma creatinine of 2mg/dl 6 months ago. Now, his plasma creatinine is 4mg/dl. Assuming steady state conditions and no changes in electrolyte intake or metabolism. Does the below increase(percent), decrease (percent), or remain the same?

Sodium excretion rate
Creatinine excretion rate
Creatinine clearance
Filtered load of creatinine

The Attempt at a Solution

Increase
Increase
Decrease
Decrease

 

[nate808]

it is important to analyze and interpret the data provided in the forum post before making any conclusions. First, we need to understand the significance of plasma creatinine levels in relation to renal function. Creatinine is a waste product produced by the muscles and is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. Therefore, plasma creatinine levels are a good indicator of kidney function.

Based on the information provided, the patient's plasma creatinine has doubled from 2mg/dl to 4mg/dl in a span of 6 months. This suggests that the patient's renal disease has progressed and their kidney function has decreased.

Now, let's look at the four variables mentioned in the forum post and how they would be affected in this scenario.

1. Sodium excretion rate: Sodium is an electrolyte that is regulated by the kidneys. In a healthy individual, the kidneys are able to filter out excess sodium and maintain a normal sodium level in the body. However, in a patient with renal disease, their kidneys may not be functioning properly and may not be able to filter out excess sodium effectively. This can lead to an increase in sodium excretion rate. Therefore, in this scenario, the sodium excretion rate would increase.

2. Creatinine excretion rate: As mentioned earlier, creatinine is a waste product that is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. In a healthy individual, the kidneys are able to filter out creatinine at a constant rate. However, in a patient with renal disease, their kidney function is impaired and they may not be able to filter out creatinine effectively. This can lead to a decrease in creatinine excretion rate. Therefore, in this scenario, the creatinine excretion rate would decrease.

3. Creatinine clearance: Creatinine clearance is a measure of how well the kidneys are able to filter out creatinine from the blood. It is calculated by comparing the amount of creatinine in the urine to the amount of creatinine in the blood. In a healthy individual, creatinine clearance is typically high as the kidneys are able to filter out creatinine efficiently. However, in a patient with renal disease, their creatinine clearance would decrease as their kidney function declines. Therefore, in this scenario, the creatinine clearance would decrease.

4. Filtered load of creatinine: The filtered load of creatinine is the amount of creatinine that is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. In a healthy individual, the filtered