In healthy people, the normal blood urea concentration is 10-40 mg/dl. Higher protein intake marginally increases blood urea level, however this is well within normal range. About 15–30 g of urea (7–15 g nitrogen) is excreted in urine per day.
Blood urea estimation is widely used as a screening test for the evaluation of kidney (renal) function. It is estimated in the laboratory either by urease method or diacetyl monoxime (DAM) procedure.
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| What is the clinical significance of urea in the blood |
Elevation in blood urea may be broadly classified into three categories.
1. Prerenal : This is associated with increased protein breakdown, leading to a negative nitrogen balance, as observed after major surgery, prolonged fever, diabetic coma, thyrotoxicosis etc. In leukemia and bleeding disorders also, blood urea is elevated.
2. Renal : In renal disorders like acute glomerulonephritis, chronic nephritis, nephrosclerosis, polycystic kidney, blood urea is increased.
3. Post-renal : Whenever there is an obstruction in the urinary tract (e.g. tumors, stones, enlargement of prostate gland etc.), blood urea is elevated. This is due to increased reabsorption of urea from the renal tubules.
The term ‘uremia’ is used to indicate increased blood urea levels due to renal failure. Azotemia represents an elevation in blood urea/ or other nitrogen metabolites which may or may not be associated with renal diseases.
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| What is the clinical significance of urea in the blood |
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