A post-renal failure (PRF) is a urinary disorder caused by urinary tract obstruction. Some of the risk factors associated with the disease includes benign prostate hyperplasia, kidney stones, bladder stones, bladder cancer, urethral cancer and renal malignancy (Mortazavi, Sakha, & Nejati, 2009). Pre-renal failure or any other renal disorder is different from PRF disorder.  Thus, accurate diagnosis of PRF is needed to facilitate better application of appropriate medical interventions for the disease.  Some of the diagnostic tests for other renal disorders such as urinary retention involves the application of a bladder scan or post-void residual examination while an ultrasound or a CT scan, will detect a hydronephrosis disorder.  (Mortazavi, Sakha, & Nejati, 2009).

During the filtration process, the kidney filters out creatinine from the blood, so there is little or no reabsorption of creatinine by the renal tubules.  Creatinine is a waste product from the breakdown of muscle tissue. Hence, the measurement of blood creatinine level, and the creatinine level in the urine is a bio-marker or test for kidneys’ function. The kidneys’ creatinine clearance rate (CCR) is the amount of blood creatinine-free per minute. Creatinine clearance rate in a healthy young individual is approximately 125 milliliters per minute.  CCR also helps in estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR); however, GFR depends on age, sex and body size of an individual.  Thus, best diagnostic method for post renal failure is to perform metabolic panel test ratio of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) to creatinine. In some cases, post-renal failure diagnosis involves ultrasonography or scintigraphy.

PRF can lead to serious health issues if not treated promptly; it may lead to other kidney problems including acute kidney failure (AKF) and even organ damage including respiratory distress, which will eventually affect the circulatory system (Mortazavi, Sakha, & Nejati, 2009).  Also, it is important to diagnose the cause of a post-renal failure in order to advance an effective intervention appropriately.  For instance, if a post-renal failure involves a tumor in the bladder, the methodology either via surgical or chemo-therapy intervention for removing or shrinking the tumor respectively, depends on the stage of the causal tumor. On the other hand, if the bladder tumor or cancer is malignant and is spreading within the ureter, a cystectomy intervention may be required.  However, if a post-surgery intervention or nephrotoxic drug(s) causes a renal failure, then a catheter may be used to drain the bladder until the kidney regains its normal function.

Most importantly, limiting ones exposure to factors associated with post-renal failure is a vital aspect of preventative measure in medical practices. Nonetheless, some of the ways to manage PRF or an acute renal failure is by avoiding nephrotoxic drugs, correcting electrolyte abnormalities, maintaining normal arterial pressure, and taking appropriate nutrition recommended by physicians (Needham, 2005).

References

NEEDHAM, E. (2005). Management of Acute Renal Failure. Am Fam      Physician. 2005 Nov 1;72(9):1739-1746. Retreive from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005   /1101/p1739.html.

Mortazavi, F., Sakha, S., Nejati, N.(2009). Acute kidney failure in neonatal period.IJKD. 3 (3),    136-40. Retreive from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail           ?vid=3&hid=10&sid=551cc847-6785-4951-8784-eacf63aca363%40sessionmgr1             5&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2010441329.