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Blood biochemistry: urea
Synonym(s): Blood urea nitrogen, BUN
Overview
- Produced in liver from ammonia derived from tissue/dietary protein and excreted by kidneys.
- Important marker of kidney function, protein metabolism and upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage.
Uses
In combination
- Renal disease Kidney: renal failure.
- Liver disease Liver: disease.
- Upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage.
- Gut dysfunction.
- Catabolic state.
- Pre-renal failure, especially cardiac, with poor renal perfusion.
Sampling
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Tests
Methodologies
- Typically measured as (total) blood urea nitrogen (BUN).
- Blood strips can be used to get a rapid results; they do not give precise readings but will show if levels are significantly elevated.
Availability
- Widely available.
Technique intrinsic limitations
- Only significant in conjunction with other laboratory and clinical findings.
Most useful to assess in conjunction with a urine specific gravity.
Result Data
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Harcourt-Brown F (2013) Diagnosis of renal disease in rabbits. Vet Clin North Am Exotic Anim Pract 16 (1),145-174
- Benson K G & Paul-Murphy J (1999) Clinical pathology of the domestic rabbit: acquisition and interpretation of samples. Vet Clin North Am Exotic Anim Pract 2 (3), 539-552 PubMed.
Other sources of information
- Varga M (2014) Textbook of Rabbit Medicine. 2nd edn. Butterworth Heinemann Elsevier, UK.
- Wesche P (2014) Clinical Pathology. In: BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine. Eds: Meredith A & Lord B. pp 124-137. BSAVA, UK.
- Saunders R A & Rees Davies R (2005) Notes on Rabbit Internal Medicine. Blackwells, UK.