I have talked a lot about the kidneys in some of my publications, about their importance in the production of blood cells, also in the filtration of metabolic wastes, in the control of blood pressure, and also in the metabolism of calcium, which I will talk about later, but despite the multiple functions it has, it is a very sensitive organ, which can easily and quickly be affected by multiple reasons.
It is the latter that I would like to talk about in detail below. The importance of taking care of the kidneys in those patients who have some strong trauma, such as, for example, a traffic accident, read on to find out what happens.
Unfortunately traffic accidents are the order of the day, and usually people who are involved in these events end up suffering, product of the crash, multiple injuries, which are usually more seen those that are of traumatic and nervous origin, however, in the body many things happen at the muscular or vascular level that can be the cause of an Acute Renal Failure, which is a condition that should always be foreseen in advance to avoid that it ends up becoming an irreparable failure.
This failure can occur for several reasons, one of them a hemorrhage, and the other the production of what is called Rhabdomyolysis, which is when the muscle is injured and certain substances are released that end up being toxic in some organs.
Let's start by understanding the process behind the hemorrhage.
When there is an injury to an organ or a major blood vessel, and there is a release of blood in large quantities, the amount of circulating blood decreases (decreased volemia). It is important to keep in mind that the kidneys are highly dependent on blood not only for nourishment but also to be able to fulfill the functions they perform in our organism.
Remembering that they indirectly control blood pressure, the production of red blood cells, among other important substances, they filter metabolic wastes to be expelled in the urine.
When the blood volume decreases, the kidneys do not receive enough blood, which will cause their function to be affected in a few hours and we will end up losing them.
The other way is the damage that is produced by the rhabdomyolysis that occurs, that is to say, the damage of the muscle fibers.
What must be understood here is that when a person has a traumatism it is not only a "simple blow ", but it implies generalized muscular injury, which ends in the release of substances that are part of the muscular tissue, very specifically mioglobin, additionally sodium, chlorine, potassium, among other electrolytes, and that pass to the bloodstream in great quantity, in such a way that saturates the function of the kidneys, taking them literally to collapse, due to the high concentration of these.
It should be noted that in normal conditions the kidneys can filter all the waste that is produced, but they need enough water for this to occur.
That is why in any accident, when the ambulance arrives, the first thing they see is the placement of a peripheral line and the placement of an intravenous solution, to start with the hydration process that will allow the renal safeguard. I hope that with this explanation this point is sufficiently clear.
When rhabdomyolysis is combined with hemorrhage it is very difficult to care for the kidneys, and surgery is often necessary to limit blood loss.
Rhabdomyolysis is not only caused by traffic accidents, it can also be caused by other conditions, such as seizures, for example, fever, or any extreme body temperature, very long duration surgeries, marathon running, due to the high intensity of this sport. Which makes hydration more than necessary.
And it is evident that hemorrhages are not only generated by accidents but for different reasons, which is why it is necessary to pay special attention to the kidneys, to protect them with the use of intravenous hydration, this is something that should always be taken into account in pre-hospital care.
This information that I have provided in this publication is basic, and it is important to keep it in mind, especially for those who work in some type of health care. But I think it is also good for everyone to have general information like the one I am sharing, because it can make it easier for them to understand why some specific medical behaviors that, sometimes, due to time constraints, doctors or para-physicians do not usually
Conclusion
Our body has a great resistance as a whole, but the reality is that there are organs that are much more sensitive than others, such is the case of the kidneys, which usually do not respond well to blood deprivation for a few hours, or to a saturation of metabolites to be purified from our bloodstream.
So far this publication, I hope that it has been of your total pleasure and that the information provided is of your total understanding. You can leave your questions or suggestions in the comments, and with pleasure, as soon as possible, I will answer them.
