Final answer:
Decreased kidney function can cause difficulty in concentrating urine, resulting in polyuria and nocturia. Medical assessments, such as urine specific gravity measurements, are used to evaluate kidney performance. Kidney failure severely affects bodily homeostasis and can be associated with conditions like diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus.
Step-by-step explanation:
When kidney function is decreased, there may be difficulty in concentrating urine, leading to symptoms such as polyuria (frequent urination) and nocturia (nighttime urination). To understand and manage these conditions, medical professionals may perform various assessments and monitor for associated conditions. One such examination is the concentration test, where a 24-hour urine sample is analyzed post-injection of pituitrine (a preparation of ADH) to measure the specific gravity of urine. In healthy kidneys, the specific gravity should be around 1.020; lower values indicate a problem with water reabsorption.
Kidney failure leads to serious disruptions in homeostasis, causing symptoms like weakness, lethargy, anemia, and more. These signs are critical for identifying renal insufficiency. Additionally, the urinary system's regulation of urine volume is crucial for maintaining the body's osmolarity, controlled by ADH levels that correspond to blood plasma osmolarity.
Monitoring patients for symptoms like polyuria can also help detect conditions like diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus, which significantly impact kidney function due to how they affect blood glucose levels. Excess glucose in the blood can cause an osmotic diuresis, and without proper treatment, can lead to severe dehydration and potentially fatal outcomes.