Nephropathy Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Nephropathy and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Clinical Significance cont'd Individuals with diabetes mellitus may excrete small amounts of protein in the urine which may signal the beginning of reduced glomerular filtration. Stabilizing the blood glucose level at this time may delay progression of diabetic nephropathy. Women in the last month of pregnancy may develop proteinuria as the first sign of impending eclampsia. Eclampsia is the gravest form of toxemia of pregnancy. The presence of protein in this situation must be evaluated by the physician in conjunction with other clinical symptoms.Benign transient proteinuria may be the result of: exposure to cold, strenuous exercise, dehydration, and/or high fever. Benign transient proteinuria may also occur during the acute phase of a severe illness. | View Page |
| Diseases Associated with Proteinuria Severe proteinuria (greater than 3.5 g/day) is characteristically seen in patients with glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, lipoid nephrosis, and severe venous congestion of the kidney. Moderate proteinuria (0.5-3.5g/day) is seen in nephrosclerosis, multiple myeloma, diabetes nephropathy, malignant hypertension, and pyelonephritis with hypertension. Mild proteinuria (less than 0.5 g/day) may be seen with polycystic kidneys, chronic pyelonephritis, benign orthostatic proteinuria, and some renal tubular diseases. Transient proteinuria can also be due to physiologic conditions such as stress, exercise, cold exposure, and fever, in the absence of renal disease. | View Page |
| Microalbumin Test The presence of low levels of albumin (microalbumin) in the urine is an important finding in an individual with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The development of clinical nephropathy leads to reduced glomerular filtration and eventually may lead to renal failure. For this reason, early detection of microalbumin is important in order to avert renal complications in a diabetic patient. The presence of microalbuminuria has also been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Reagent strips that are used for routine urinalysis cannot detect low levels of albumin excretion (1 to 2 mg/dL). Special reagent strips that are sensitive for these low levels of albumin are useful for periodic monitoring of patients with diabetes, hypertension, or peripheral vascular disease. | View Page |