Uremia

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Uremia, presence in the bloodstream of too many chemical wastes such as urea, a nitrogen-rich waste product attributable to extra protein in the diet. As chemical wastes build up in the body they produce a toxic effect, possibly resulting in drowsiness, irritability, nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, headaches, and muscle cramps. In extreme cases, uremia may cause convulsions, coma, or death.

The kidneys normally filter chemical wastes from the blood and send them to the urinary system for elimination from the body.

Uremia most commonly develops when the kidneys fail to function properly. In some cases, however, uremia occurs when blood flow to the kidneys is reduced due to severe bleeding, serious burns, or heart attack, or when more wastes are formed in the bloodstream as a result of traumatic injuries or large surgical incisions than can be removed by the kidneys. A kidney stone, a tumor in the urinary tract, or a severely enlarged prostate in males may also cause uremia.

Victims of uremia due to kidney failure undergo kidney dialysis, a medical procedure that removes wastes from the blood. Transplantation of kidneys from healthy donors to uremic patients has also proven effective in some cases.

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