Uremia, Uricemia, Azotemia, Ammonemia

[loveoforganic2]

I have a tendency of getting these confused. Is the below correct?

Uricemia - High uric acid. May precipitate gout. No other dysfunction

Ammonemia - Specifically refers to high free NH3. Due to hepatic dysfunction, particularly of the urea cycle. Leads to hepatic encephalopathy and asterixis

Azotemia - High nitrogenous waste products. General term that includes creatinine, BUN, etc. Doesn't specifically correlate with any dysfunction

Uremia - Refers specifically to high urea levels. Due to renal dysfunction. Leads to isolated platelet dysfunction, fibrinous pericarditis, etc.

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[CaptainSSO]

Yea are correct

 

[loveoforganic2]

Yea are correct

Gracias!

 

[thawunandonly]

What is the difference between urea and BUN...? And why an increase in BUN doesn't necessarily equate to uremia (where you'd see fibrinous pericarditis, asterixis, etc.)? Or rather, azotemia =/= uremia? Is it strictly the amount of buildup? Where azotemia is an indicator of kidney function and uremia is an indicator of kidney function that has progressed to...neurological problems or something?

 

[loveoforganic2]

What is the difference between urea and BUN...? And why an increase in BUN doesn't necessarily equate to uremia (where you'd see fibrinous pericarditis, asterixis, etc.)? Or rather, azotemia =/= uremia? Is it strictly the amount of buildup? Where azotemia is an indicator of kidney function and uremia is an indicator of kidney function that has progressed to...neurological problems or something?

Urea is BUN afaik. Azotemia = impaired GFR for whatever reason => buildup of nitrogenous waste products in the blood. This does include BUN, but also includes creatinine and whatnot. So azotemia may present with uremia, but not necessarily (as uremia refers to a high enough BUN to produce those specific clinical symptoms - azotemia may be more or less asymptomatic + oliguria).

On that note, do both uremia and ammonemia produce the same presentation of encephalopathy?