Kidney health is crucial to our well-being. However, certain health conditions, such as obstructive uropathy, can increase the risk of kidney failure or dysfunction. Globally, around 13.3 million cases of AKI are reported each year. Infections in lower-middle and low-income countries mainly cause AKI.
Obstructive uropathy is a structural or functional blockage of the urinary tract that stops urine flow from the kidney through the ureters to the bladder. This blockage leads to urine backup and damage to kidney function. The primary causes of obstructive uropathy may be interlinked with forming acute kidney injury, listed in a tabular format.
Anatomic Locations | Urinary Tract Obstruction Etiologies |
Ureter | Kidney stones, cancer, bilateral obstruction, retroperitoneal fibrosis, neurogenic bladder, abscess, stenosis, and ureteral valves |
Kidney Pelvis | Papillary necrosis and kidney stones |
Posterior to the Bladder | Cancer, blood clots |
Urinary System | Pelvic and abdominal malignancies, pelvic fractures, aortic aneurysm, atrophic vaginitis, pelvic organ prolapse |
Obstructive uropathy is often the cause of AKI in approximately 10% of cases. Urinary tract obstruction damages and impairs kidney function due to inflammation and restrictions in blood supply. As the blockage in the urinary tract worsens, it disrupts acid-base, electrolyte and fluid balance, ultimately leading to AKI.
Other reasons for obstructive uropathy-induced AKI include:
Acute Kidney Injury(AKI) refers to a sudden, usually reversible, loss of kidney function that happens when the kidneys can no longer filter out waste from the human blood. However, the reversibility of AKI depends entirely on the cause, the severity, and the patient's overall health. It can form quickly, over hours or days, and is usually a risk of another illness or "stress" on the body, instead of a primary kidney disease. AKI varies from mild to severe, and while it could be fatal if untreated, it could often be reversed with the right treatment.
There are many symptoms of Obstructive Uropathy. The symptoms of obstructive uropathy include :
Other symptoms can include pain, typically in the lower abdomen or back, blood in the urine, fever, nausea, Vomiting, and swelling in the feet or legs.
The specific symptoms often depend on whether the obstruction developed slowly or suddenly, and if it affects one or both kidneys.
The common symptoms of AKI include :
Untreated obstructive uropathy can lead to serious health complications, including:
Obstructive uropathy is a chronic or acute condition that hinders urine flow and causes urine backflow to the kidney. This condition impairs kidney function, such as filtering waste and fluid from the blood, and leads to acute kidney injury.
Moreover, inflammation and ischaemia due to obstructive uropathy, including excessive pressure on the abdomen and bladder, cause AKI.
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