A patient is admitted to the critical care unit in congestive heart failure secondary to renal insufficiency

Question

The patient reports that over the past few weeks, his urine output has decreased, and he has developed peripheral edema and ascites. A diagnosis of renal failure is made. The nurse would expect to see elevated values in the following laboratory results: (Select all that apply).

a. BUN.
b. creatinine.
c. glucose.
d. hemoglobin and hematocrit.
e. protein.

Answer 1

A, B, D
With kidney dysfunction, the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is elevated because of a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate and resulting decrease in urea excretion. Elevations in the BUN can be correlated with the clinical manifestations of uremia; as the BUN rises, symptoms of uremia become more pronounced. Creatinine levels are fairly constant and are affected by fewer factors than BUN. As a result, the serum creatinine level is a more sensitive and specific indicator of kidney function than BUN. Creatinine excess occurs most often in persons with kidney failure resulting from impaired excretion. Decreased hematocrit value can indicate fluid volume excess because of the dilutional effect of the extra fluid load. Decreases also can result from anemias, blood loss, liver damage, or hemolytic reactions. In individuals with acute kidney failure, anemia may occur early in the disease.