Clinical Chemistry In Medicine
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Clinical Chemistry In Medicine
Of the diagnostic methods available to veterinarians, the clinical
chemistry test has developed into a valuable aid for localizing pathologic
conditions. This test is actually a collection of specially selected individual
tests. With just a small amount of whole blood or serum, many body
systems can be analyzed. Some of the more common screenings give
information about the function of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas and
about muscle and bone disease. There are many blood chemistry tests
available to doctors. This paper covers the some of the more common
tests.
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is an end-product of protein metabolism. Like
most of the other molecules in the body, amino acids are constantly
renewed. In the course of this turnover, they may undergo deamination,
the removal of the amino group. Deamination, which takes place
principally in the liver, results in the formation of ammonia. In the liver,
the ammonia is quickly converted to urea, which is relatively nontoxic,
and is then released into the bloodstream. In the blood, it is readily
removed through the kidneys and excreted in the urine. Any disease or
condition that reduces glomerular filtration or increases protein
catabolism results in elevated BUN levels.
Creatinine is another indicator of kidney function. Creatinine is a waste
product derived from creatine. It is freely filtered by the glomerulus and
blood levels are useful for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Muscle
tissue contains phosphocreatinine which is converted to creatinine by a
nonenzymatic process. This spontaneous degradation occurs at a rather
consistent rate (Merck, 1991).
Causes of increases of both BUN and creatinine can be divided into three
major categories: prerenal, renal, and postrenal. Prerenal causes include
heart disease, hypoadrenocorticism and shock. Postrenal causes include
urethral obstruction or lacerations of the ureter, bladder, or urethra. True
renal disease from glomerular, tubular, or interstitial dysfunction raises
BUN and creatinine levels when over 70% of the nephrons become
nonfunctional (Sodikoff, 1995).
Glucose is a primary energy source for living organisms. The glucose
level in blood is normally controlled to within narrow limits. Inadequate
or excessive amounts of glucose or the inability to metabolize glucose
can affect nearly every system in the body. Low blood glucose levels
(hypoglycemia) may be caused by pancreatic tumors (over-production of
insulin),...
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