Wounds and Injuries—Kidney Diseases

Also called: Renal disease

You have two kidneys, each about the size of your fist. They are near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage. Inside each kidney there are about a million tiny structures called nephrons. They filter your blood. They remove wastes and extra water, which become urine. The urine flows through tubes called ureters. It goes to your bladder, which stores the urine until you go to the bathroom.

Most kidney diseases attack the nephrons. This damage may leave kidneys unable to remove wastes. Causes can include genetic problems, injuries, or medicines. You have a higher risk of kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a close family member with kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease damages the nephrons slowly over several years. Other kidney problems include

• Cancer
• Cysts
• Stones
• Infections

Your doctor can do blood and urine tests to check if you have kidney disease. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• ACE inhibitors (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Acute nephritic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Analgesic nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Atheroembolic renal disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bartter syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bilateral hydronephrosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Congenital nephrotic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Distal renal tubular acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Glomerulonephritis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Goodpasture syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• IgA nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Injury – kidney and ureter (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Interstitial nephritis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Kidney removal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Kidney removal – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Medicines and Kidney Disease – NIH (National Kidney Disease Education Program)
• Membranoproliferative GN I (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Membranous nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Minimal change disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nephrocalcinosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nephrotic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Obstructive uropathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Perirenal abscess (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Proximal renal tubular acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Reflux nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Renal papillary necrosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Renal vein thrombosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Unilateral hydronephrosis (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Traumatic injuries

An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more. In the U.S., millions of people injure themselves every year. These injuries range from minor to life-threatening. Injuries can happen at work or play, indoors or outdoors, driving a car, or walking across the street.

Wounds are injuries that break the skin or other body tissues. They include cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin. They often happen because of an accident, but surgery, sutures, and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds usually aren’t serious, but it is important to clean them. Serious and infected wounds may require first aid followed by a visit to your doctor. You should also seek attention if the wound is deep, you cannot close it yourself, you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or it does not heal.

Other common types of injuries include

• Animal bites
• Bruises
• Burns
• Dislocations
• Electrical injuries
• Fractures
• Sprains and strains

• Bleeding (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Crush injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cuts and puncture wounds (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Electrical injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gunshot wounds — aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• How wounds heal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laceration – sutures or staples – at home (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lacerations – liquid bandage (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound infection – treatment (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wet to dry dressing changes (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wound care centers (Medical Encyclopedia)