Lecture Notes
11
Genitourinary
System:
Urinary System
Classroom Activity to
Accompany Medical
Terminology Systems, Sixth
Edition
Barbara A. Gylys ∙ Mary Ellen Wedding
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Structure and Function
• Kidneys
• Formation of urine
• Ureters, bladder,
urethra
• Storage and
elimination of urine
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Function of Kidneys
• Remove waste products from blood
• Regulate body’s tissue fluid
• Maintain electrolyte balance in blood
• Maintain acid-base balance in blood
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Structure and Function Exercise
Q: Name four organs of the urinary system?
A: Kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra
Q: What is the name of the structure that
stores urine until it is voided?
A: Urinary bladder
Q: What is the main function of the kidneys?
A: Remove toxic products from blood by
forming urine.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Signs and Symptoms
• Irreversible stage with gradual, progressive
deterioration of kidney function.
• Kidneys lose ability to excrete nitrogenous
end products of metabolism.
• Progressive weakness, anorexia, diarrhea,
pruritus, and polyuria.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
• Severity of signs and symptoms varies
depending on extent of renal damage
and remaining function.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Treatment
• Dietary restriction of protein, sodium, and
potassium intake.
• Antiemetics for nausea.
• Control of hypertension
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mr. J requires renal transplantation because his kidneys no longer filter
toxic wastes from the blood? His disease is charted as ESRD, or
__________________.
A: end-stage renal disease
Q: A patient awaiting prostate CA surgery is currently continent, but is worried
that after surgery he may not be able to control his bladder, a condition
known as _____________.
A: incontinence
Q: Joan S presents at the clinic because of painful urination. The nurse notes a
history of cystitis and documents her painful urination as _________.
A: dysuria
Q: This 38-year-old female is admitted with pyonephrosis. A key finding of
the inflammatory condition is the accumulation of __________ in the kidneys.
A: pus
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Renal Calculi
Signs and Symptoms
• Concentration of
mineral salts in renal
pelvis, calices of the
kidney, or in the
urinary tract.
• Renal calculi patients
may remain
asymptomatic for long
periods.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Renal Calculi
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
• If stone or calculus fragment lodges in a ureter,
there may be intense pain and urinary urgency.
• If calculi are in the renal pelvis and calices, pain
is duller and more constant.
• Back pain and severe abdominal pain may
occur.
• Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting,
chills and fever, hematuria, and abdominal
distention.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Renal Calculi
Treatment
• Remove stones and prevent new formations.
• Enhance elimination of stones and increase fluid
intake.
• Small stones pass spontaneously without
treatment. Large stones may require surgical
intervention.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Renal Calculi
Treatment (continued)
• Antibiotics may be prescribed if calculus build-up
is due to bacterial infection.
• Strong analgesics are prescribed for relief of
intense pain.
• Ultrasound is used to locate and monitor calculi as
they are being destroyed.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mrs J develops kidney stones even though various treatments were
undertaken. The patient must undergo a surgical procedure in which an
incision is made to remove the stones. This procedure is called
______________________.
A: lithotomy
Q: A patient diagnosed with renal calculi presents to the office complaining of
pain in the kidney area. The medical term for this symptom is
________________.
A: nephralgia or nephrodynia
Q: Upon diagnosis of ureterolithiasis, the doctor informs Mrs. S that she may
experience pain and have difficulty urinating. The medical term for painful or
difficult urination is_____________.
A: dysuria
Q: Mrs. H presents with complaints of pain, nausea, and hematuria. Based on
her past history of nephrolithiasis, the physician orders an imaging technique
that utilizes high-frequency sound waves to detect presence of calculi. This
imaging procedure is called an _________________.
A: ultrasound
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Hydronephrosis
Signs and Symptoms
• Distention of renal
pelvis and calices due
to pressure from
accumulating urine.
• Pressure impairs, and
may eventually
interrupt, kidney
function.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Hydronephrosis
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
• If obstruction is above bladder opening,
only one kidney may be affected and
person may be asymptomatic for a
prolonged period.
• If both kidneys are affected, symptoms may
include intense pain, nausea, vomiting,
oliguria or anuria, and hematuria.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Hydronephrosis
Treatment
• Remove obstruction, prevent complications, and
treat underlying disorders.
• Catheterization for immediate relief of urinary
pressure.
• Analgesics may be prescribed.
• Antibiotics are required if infection occurs.
• Surgery if needed to dilate a ureteral stricture.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mary presents at the clinic concerned because she only urinated once in the
past 24 hours. The medical term for this symptom is (anuria, dysuria,
enuria).
A: anuria
Q: Mrs. M presents because her urine is red. The nurse documents this finding
as _________________.
A: hematuria
Q: Joan T is diagnosed with nephrosis and has swelling in the ankles, feet, and
around the eyes. The medical term for swelling is____________________.
A: edema
Q: Radiographic studies of a patient’s kidneys reveal enlargement of the right
kidney. The radiologist documents this as __________________________.
A: nephromegaly
Q: Mr. J undergoes surgical repair of the renal pelvis. Before obtaining
informed consent, the physician charts this surgical procedure as
________________.
A: pyeloplasty
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
• azotemia
• calculus
• catheterization
• diuretic
• dysuria
• electrolytes
• enuresis
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• hematuria
• hypospadias
• hypertension
• incontinence
• nephrectomy
• nephrolithotomy
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• nephrolithiasis
• nephrologist
• nephromegaly
• nocturia
• polyuria
• proteinuria
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• pyuria
• transurethral
• uremia
• ureterostenosis
• urethrocele
• urinalysis
• urologist
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Diagnostic Procedures
• Blood urea nitrogen
(BUN)
• Cystoscopy
• Pyelography
• Urinalysis
• Voiding
cystourography
(VCUG)
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Word Building Exercise
Q: Visual examination of the bladder: ________________.
A: cystoscopy
Q: Process of recording (radiography) the bladder and urethra:
_________________.
A: cystourethrography
Q: Process of recording (radiography) the renal pelvis:
___________.
A: pyelography
Q: Surgical repair of the renal pelvis
A: pyeloplasty
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
• Catheterization
• Insertion of a
catheter into
the bladder to
withdraw urine.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
(continued)
• Hemodialysis
• Patient’s blood
is diverted into
a dialysis
machine for
filtering.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
(continued)
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Dialysis in which patient’s
own peritoneum is used
as the dialyzing
membrane.
Contaminated fluid
drains out and is
replaced with fresh
solution.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
(continued)
• Extracorporeal shock
wave lithotripsy
(ESWL)
• Powerful sound- wave
vibrations break up
calculi in urinary track
or gallbladder.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
(continued)
• Renal
transplantation
• Diseased kidneys
replaced by
transplanted kidney.
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mrs. C is unable to urinate after surgery so a catheter is
inserted through the urethra and into her bladder to remove
urine. This therapeutic procedures is known as
_______________.
A: catheterization
Q: Mr. G is diagnosed with nephrolithiasis. The medical
assistant explains that the kidney stones need to be
crushed into smaller pieces so they can be expelled in the
urine. Crushing of stones is a surgical procedure called
__________.
A: lithotripsy
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mr. M is diagnosed with multiple renal calculi. The doctor
explains that the treatment of choice is to use powerful
sound- wave vibrations to break up the kidney stones. The
abbreviation for this procedure is ______.
A: ESWL
Q: Mrs. A has a history of bladder carcinoma and presents for
an endoscopy of the urinary bladder. Any growths that are
present will be removed and biopsied. This visual
examination of the bladder is a medical procedure called
_____________.
A: cystoscopy
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Pharmacology
• Antibiotics
• Antispasmodics
• Diuretics
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GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: URINARY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: A chest x-ray reveals an accumulation of fluid in the lungs. The
doctor prescribes a drug to stimulate production and flow of
urine. The drug is a/an (antispasmodic, antidiuretic, diuretic).
A: diuretic
Q. Mr Q was catheterized for surgery and now experiences spasms
in the urethra and bladder. To decrease the spasms and allow
normal emptying of the bladder, the doctor prescribes a/an
(antispasmodic, antidiuretic, diuretic).
A: antispasmodic
Q: Mrs. T is diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. To treat the
bacterial infection, the physician prescribes a/an (analgestic,
antibiotic, antispasmodic).
A: antibiotic
Q: To relieve the patient’s nephralgia, the physician prescribes a/an
(analgesic, antibiotic, antispasmodic).
A: analgesic
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