What does polyuria and high urinary frequency have in common?
passing urine more often that before
How is polyuria different from high urinary frequency?
pass abnormally large volumes of clear urine each time
How do you check if it is true polyuria?
collecting 24hr urine sample (>3L = polyuria) - usually hard to rely on patient
What are differential diagnosis for polyuria?
How can chronic renal failure and hypercalcaemia (e.g. due to bone metastases) cause polyuria?
by inducing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
Why can steroids and Cushing’s syndrome cause polyuria?
by causing diabetes mellitus
What questions do you ask patient to help narrow down differential?
What do you ask about temporal pattern of urine output?
no of times day and night especially nocturia
What does nocturia (in absence of other causes e.g. BPH) suggest?
one of earliest signs of loss of concentrating ability - makes primary polydipsia less likely
What would fatigue, weight loss, recurrent infections and polyuria suggest?
DM
What are examples of lower urinary tract symptoms?
What would symptoms of lower urinary tract suggest?
Why do you ask about pain frequency, change in urine colour and smell with polyuria?
suggestive of UTI, which could cause increased frequency but not polyuria
What PMHx do you ask about with polyuria?
What DHx do you ask about with polyuria?
Why can lithium cause polyuria?
inducing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
What FHx do you ask about polyuria?
2. familial forms of diabetes inspidus (nephorgenic and cranial) present early in life
What GP tests must you request for polyruia?
2. Urinalysis with dipstick
Why do you do a cap glucose?
check for DM
Why do you do a urinalysis for polyuria?
2. see if glucosuria and ketonuria other signs of DM
What other tests may you request for polyuria?
Why/When do you do fasting plasma glucose?
2. to exclude DM and calculate serum osmolarity
What could lead to a high osmolality and volume?
inability to reabsorb solutes by the kidneys, solutes remain in urine and keep water with them
What could lead to a low osmolality and volume?
inability to reabsorb water due to distal tubule pathology of deficient ADH pathway