Question

Which is more dangerous, oliguria or anuria? Why?

a) Oliguria; it indicates excessive urine production
b) Anuria; it indicates complete kidney shutdown
c) Both equally dangerous
d) Neither is dangerous

Answer 1

Anuria is more dangerous than oliguria as it indicates a complete kidney shutdown, occurring in conditions like acute renal failure, while oliguria can occur in less critical situations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Anuria is considered more dangerous than oliguria because it indicates a complete shutdown of the kidneys. Anuria involves no urine excretion or production below 10 ml/day, which can be observed in conditions like acute renal failure and nephritis. In contrast, oliguria, which is the excretion of less than 600 ml/day of urine, may occur in less severe conditions such as fever, shock, vomiting, and diarrhea. Despite its seriousness, anuria represents a more critical level of kidney dysfunction compared to oliguria.

Diabetes insipidus or diabetes mellitus would most likely be indicated by polyuria, which is an abnormally large amount of urine, often caused by an excess of plasma glucose (in diabetes mellitus) or inefficient water reabsorption due to insufficient ADH (in diabetes insipidus).