An elevation of nitrogen-containing compounds (particularly urea and creatinine) in the blood due to kidney dysfunction. It represents the buildup of waste products that kidneys normally filter out.
From Greek 'azote' meaning 'nitrogen' (literally 'without life') and 'haima' meaning 'blood.' The term was coined as understanding of kidney function and nitrogen metabolism developed in medical science.
Azotemia literally means 'nitrogen in the blood'—it's like your blood becoming polluted with waste products that should have been flushed out! The name 'azote' for nitrogen came from the fact that animals died in pure nitrogen gas, though we now know it's the lack of oxygen, not nitrogen toxicity, that's deadly.
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