Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the health care professional should be able to:

• Describe the function of the kidney.
• Identify characteristics of the following degrees of renal dysfunction: diminished renal reserve, renal insufficiency, renal failure, and end-stage renal disease.
• Identify normal values for the following renal function tests: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum and urine creatinine, creatinine clearance, urinary urea nitrogen and nitrogen balance, serum and urine osmolality, serum and urinary uric acid.
• Compare and contrast factors that affect the BUN and serum creatinine levels.
• Give examples of changes in serum and urine osmolality and propose appropriate nursing interventions.

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