Non-obstructive Oliguria

Non-obstructive Oliguria – General Information

The Nonobstructive Oliguria is the decreased or even absent production of the urine. The low production of the urine can be a sign of dehydration, renal failure, and urinary retention. Depending on the age of the affected persons, the Nonobstructive Oliguria may be defined as a urine output less than 1 mL/kg/hour in infants, 0, 5 mL/kg/hour in children and about 400 mL/day in adults. Usually, the pathological processes which are involved can be pre-renal, renal and post-renal. The pre-renal ones are found in approximate 75% of the patients who are suffering from this medical condition and include the following causes: dehydration, low cardiac output and vascular collapse. The renal processes are usually associated with structural renal damage such as acute tubular necrosis, primary glomerular disease and vascular lesions. The post-renal processes appear as a result of the mechanical and sometimes functional obstruction of the urine flow.

Usually, the Nonobstructive Oliguria develops as a result of excessive fluid loss (for example vomiting, diarrhea), excessive drug use (drugs such as gentamicin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs); the children may experience gross hematuria and also oedema which are characteristic to the glomerular disease. If it is not treated this medical condition may lead to other problems and complications because of the sodium and fluid retention, these complications usually include: hypertension, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, anorexia, nausea, anemia and platelet dysfunctions, arrhythmias and other abnormalities of the heart, confusion, sleepiness and even seizures and impaired immunity secondary to the uremia. 

Non-obstructive Oliguria – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Nonobstructive Oliguria) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from this condition or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the most common symptoms that a person who suffers from Nonobstructive Oliguria, may experience, although each individual experiences them differently. The symptoms of this medical condition depend on the suppression and the length of the time involved and can include irritation (as a first symptom of this medical condition), and low urine output (as the most common of the symptoms), lack of appetite, vomiting and collapse (which although it is rare it may be encountered in this disease), blood loss, diarrhea, excessive sweating, inability to drink fluids, low blood pressure. If this medical condition affects the kidneys then the patients may experience acute, tubular necrosis (this is a kind of injury caused by the low blood pressure), autoimmune disorders, kidney cancer and kidney tumors, chronic renal failure (this may also appear as a complications in the persons who are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure), polycystic kidney disease (this is an inherited medical condition and not all the patients are suffering from it) and glomerular – nephritis which is also a type of kidney injury which usually develops after a kidney infection.

Non-obstructive Oliguria – Treatment

The findings of the doctor’s examinations will vary depending on the underlying cause of the Nonobstructive Oliguria. The patients may be pale, clammy and breathless; the patients may also have signs of congestive heart failure, hepatomegaly, hypertension, oedema, anemia, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The doctors submit the patients to different tests in order to establish the diagnostic of Nonobstructive Oliguria, such as those which establish the urinary electrolytes, the serum electrolytes, the serum creatinine, a full blood count, arterial blood gases, renal ultrasound with Doppler, MSU dipstick and in the cases in which an intrinsic renal disease a renal biopsy may be necessary. The urine will be analyzed in a laboratory in order for the doctors to look for protein and for kidney or bladder infections. The urine will be also analyzed in order to see if there appear bacteria in it. Another test is the intravenous pyelogram (also abbreviated IVP) in which a dye is injected into the veins of the patients, this dye is excreted into the urine and provides an outline of the whole urinary system. The patients are also recommended to do an ultrasound in order to see if they have a kidney mass which is non-cancerous or cancerous and also a computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis in order for the doctors to have a close look of the abdominal organs and pelvic organs. A cystoscopy may also be useful in order for the doctors to examine the bladder’s lining for tumors and other problems.

The doctors will try, in the patients who are suffering from Nonobstructive Oliguria, to restore the intravascular volume, to treat the reversible causes, to strict the fluid balance and to correct the abnormalities of the electrolytes, they will also try to treat the hyperkalaemia, and even to recommend the patients dialysis until the kidneys recover completely. The treatment of the Nonobstructive Oliguria may be surgical, as many patients require a urological surgery or orally, based on drugs such as:

• Lasix – this is a loop diuretic which prevents the organism from absorbing salt in excess and allows the salt to be passed into the urine. This drug is used to treat Non-obstructive Oliguria and the edema (also known as fluid retention) in the persons who are suffering from congestive heart failure, liver disease, kidney disorders (such as nephrotic syndrome), and high blood pressure (also known as Hypertension). Before starting the treatment with Lasix, the patients must inform their doctor or personal health care provider if they have kidney disease, liver disease, gout, lupus, diabetes and if they are allergic to sulfa drugs.
• Lo-Aqua (furosemide) - this is a loop diuretic which prevents the organism from absorbing salt in excess and allows the salt to be passed into the urine. The patients with Non-obstructive Oliguria should not use this medicine if they are not able to urinate at all, and should inform their doctor or personal health care provider if they have other medical problems. This drug helps the patients to urinate frequently and this may lead to dehydration this is why it is very important for the patients to drink plenty of liquids.