Final answer:
An elderly patient presenting with elevated serum creatinine and BUN warrants assessment for renal impairment. Blood tests are crucial in evaluating renal function, while conditions such as renal uremia and pre-renal uremia may indicate serious kidney disorders. Diagnosis typically includes blood and urine tests, and ultrasonography to exclude urinary tract obstruction.
Step-by-step explanation:
An 82-year-old female with elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels suggests possible renal impairment. Blood tests such as BUN (normal range 8-20 mg/dl) and plasma creatinine (normal range 0.6-0.9 mg/dl for females) are essential in assessing renal function. Exceedingly high levels of blood urea, particularly above 300 mg/dl, may indicate renal uremia, a serious condition resulting from kidney disorders.
Pre-renal uremia might be caused by conditions that affect urine flow before it reaches the kidneys, such as medication side effects, benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer, kidney stones, abdominal malignancy, or an obstructed urinary catheter. To diagnose renal failure, clinicians rely on a comparison of current and previous renal function measures, using blood tests and urine analysis. An essential diagnostic tool is ultrasonography, which rules out urinary tract obstruction as a cause of renal impairment.
In addition to elevated creatinine, a decline in glomerular filtration rate is a physiological indication of renal failure, leading to abnormal fluid and electrolyte levels, hematuria, and long-term complications like anemia and cardiovascular disease.