Uremia Pericarditis

Yet the clinician usually makes the diagnosis of uremia when patients with high BUN (alOO mg/dl) and serum creatinine (alO mg/dl) levels develop symptoms of anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abnormal taste in the mouth, uremic fetor, insomnia, loss of energy and libido, dyspnea from pulmonary congestion, or chest pain from pericarditis. Such patients may also exhibit normocytic normochromic anemia, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, or hypo-albuminemia. 

An interesting complication of uremia is the development of so-called uremic pericarditis. In the early stage of pericarditis, urea precipitates at the surface of the pericardium. This precipitation results in the development of a fibrinous exudate, which covers both the parietal and visceral aspects of the pericardium, giving the typical appearance of the bread and butter pericardium. Despite this extensive fibrinous exudate, constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication of uremic pericarditis. 

Dialysis, the common name for hemodialysis, is the procedure used to treat end-stage kidney failure, transient kidney failure, and some poisoning or drug-overdose situations. Other indications for dialysis include hyperkalemia, uremia, uremic pericarditis. 

When cadmium exposure continues past the onset of early kidney damage (manifested as proteinuria), chronic nephrotoxicity may occur (Meridian Research, Inc. 1989 Roth Associates, Inc. 1989). Uremia, which is the loss of the glomerulus ability to adequately filter blood, may result. This condition leads to severe disturbance of electrolyte concentrations, which may result in various clinical complications including atherosclerosis, hypertension, pericarditis, anemia, hemorrhagic tendencies, deficient cellular immunity, bone changes, and other problems. Progression of the disease may require dialysis or a kidney transplant. 

---