HUC 122 Quizlet "Polycystic Kidney Disease"

Subject: Polycystic Kidney Disease

Object: Describe the importance of understanding polycystic kidney disease.

Instructions: using the resources listed ,answer the following questions at the end of this article.

HUC 122: Quizlet is due on or before JULY 6TH, @ 8:00 am. you need 40 points or more to pass

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetic disease that involves fluid-filled cysts growing throughout the kidneys. The cysts may cause numerous health problems and may eventually lead to the loss of kidney function known as end stage renal disease. These cysts develop in both kidneys of the person with PKD, and may cause the kidneys to grow to the size of a football. In the United States, about 500,000 people have PKD, and it is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. PKD can affect other organs besides the kidney. People with PKD may have cysts in their liver, pancreas, spleen, ovaries, and large bowel. Cysts in these organs usually do not cause serious problems, but can in some people.

The kidneys are two organs each about the size of a fist, located in the upper part of the abdomen, toward the back. The kidneys filter wastes from the blood to form urine. The kidneys also regulate amounts of certain vital substances in the body. If too many cysts grow or if they get too big, the kidneys can become damaged. PKD cysts can slowly replace much of the kidneys, reducing kidney function and leading to kidney failure.

Many people with PKD show no symptoms in the early stages. As PKD progresses, symptoms

such as the following may gradually start to develop:

• Hypertension known as high blood pressure
• Fatigue or general feeling of tiredness
• Frequent urination
• Headaches
• Urinary tract infections (UTI)
• Low back or flank pain

On the average, patients start to begin to notice these symptoms somewhere between ages 20 and 40. Currently, these are three main clinical tests that can be used to diagnose a person with PKD: ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

When PKD advances, several internal organs will be affected. Both kidneys develop numerous and often large cysts. These cysts may get infected or sometimes may rupture. Substantial kidney enlargement is very common and kidney stones become more prevalent than in general public. Kidney function decreases markedly. Cysts in the liver develop in about 60% of PKD

patients. Cysts may cause chronic pain due to the size and location of the cysts. Cysts in the pancreas develop in about 10% of PKD patients. The heart’s mitro valves weaken or have abnormalities in about 26% of PKD patients. Mitro valve prolapse and an enlarged heart is common in older individuals who suffer from long term hypertension a s a result of PKD.

Brain blood vessels develop aneurysms in about 5% of PKD patients (intracranial aneurysms).Aneurysms can leak blood or burst, both of which are serious. On the average, patients begin to exhibit these symptoms somewhere between the ages of 30 and 50. The degree and time of onset of the symptoms of PKD can vary greatly from one family to the next and can also vary within families. This makes it difficult to determine beforehand

what an individual's PKD course will be like.

PKD has no cure. However, there are things that the patients with PKD can do to delay the onset of renal failure. These things include:

• controlling cardiovascular risk by maintaining a healthy diet
• maintaining healthy body weight
• exercising regularly
• avoiding smoking

Treatment options focus on managing specific symptoms and secondary complications of PKD, Including:

• Pain management strategies
• Strategies for lowering and better controlling high blood pressure
• Management of urinary tract infections in people with PKD
• Management of kidney stones in people with PKD

PKD is an inherited disorder that is passed from parents to children through genes. Two major subdivisions of PKD are Autosomal Recessive PKD (ARPKD) also called Infantile PKD and Autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) also called Adult Onset PKD. ARPKD requires genes from BOTH parents and is thus much less common. ADPKD can be caused by a single gene inherited from either parent and this type is much more common.

When PKD causes kidneys to fail, this usually happens only after many years, the patients require dialysis or kidney transplant. About one-half of people with the major types of PKD progress to kidney failure and end stage renal disease. Because of the high variability of PKD, it is difficult to characterize when someone will reach then end stage of the disease. An average age is 50. However, some people reach this stage very early in their lives while others may never lose all of their kidney function.

Sources:

http://www.pkdcure.org/home/html

http://www.nhpress.com/pkd/basic.html

http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/polycystic.cfm