Renal function test - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2376 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Introduction: Kidney is a part of group of organs that constitute the urinary tract system which consists of two kidneys, two ureters, bladder and urethra. The kidneys do the major function of the urinary system. The other parts of the system are mainly passageways and storage areas. The kidneys are reddish, bean-shaped structure and located just above the waist between the peritoneum and the posterior wall of abdomen. A typical kidney in an adult is 10-12 cm long, 5-7 cm wide and 3 cm thick and has a mass of 135-150 g. Under normal circumstances the two kidneys are able to do the following functions: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Renal function test" essay for you Create order Regulating of blood PH; the kidneys excrete an amount of hydrogen ions (H+) and conserve bicarbonate (HCO3-). Regulating blood pressure; the kidneys produce rennin, which activate the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathways. Maintaining blood osmolarity; by regulating loss of water and loss of solutes in the urine, the kidneys maintain constant blood osmolarity. Regulating blood glucose; the kidneys can use the amino acids glutamine in gluconegenesis. So they can release glucose into blood to help maintain a normal blood glucose level. Production of hormones; calctirriol (active form of vitamin D) which helps regulate calcium homeostasis and erythropoietin which stimulates the production of red blood cells. Excreting waste and foreign substances; by forming urine which contains the waste substances that have no useful functions in the body. The above mentioned kidney functions based on the functional unit of the kidney called nephron. Each kidney contains about 1 million nephrons. The nephron is a tube closed at one end and open at the other and in between it consists of Bowmans capsule, Glomerulus, Proximal convoluted tubule, Loop of Henle, Distal convoluted tubule and collecting tubule. About 170-200 liters of water are filtered through the kidneys everyday, but about 1-2 liters are excreted from the body as urine. To produce urine, nephrons and collecting ducts perform three basic processes: Glomerular filtration: water and most blood solutes in the blood plasma move across the wall of glomerular capillaries into the glomerular capsule and then into the renal tubule. Tubular reabsorption: as filtered fluid flows along the renal tubule and through the collecting duct, tubule cells reabsorb about 99% of filtered water and many solutes. Tubular secretion: as the fluid flows along the tubule and through the collecting duct, the tubule and duct cells secrete other materials, such as wastes, drugs and excess ions into the fluid. Each kidney connects to bladder by ureter, which is tube like structure that provides drainage from the kidney to the bladder during the process of urine formation. Bladder acts by means of contraction to expel urine from the body. In order for the kidney to work properly the renal arteries deliver about 25% of resting cardiac out put. Glomerular filtration (GF) normally occurs at rate of about 120-150 ml/min. There are significant forces which are involved in glomerular filtration, glomerular capillary blood pressure which induced a blood pressure within the glomerular capillary depending on the heart contraction and on the peripheral resistance provided by efferent arterioles. The other significant force is the plasma colloid osmatic pressure which occurs due to impermeability to protein through the glomerulus. The permeability depends on the molecular size and the electrical charges. The positively charged molecules easily filtered than the negatively charged one because the glomerular endothelium layer carry negative charges that repel the protein particles and not allowing them to be filtered. In Bowmans capsule hydrostatic pressure, there will be high force to push fluid out of Bowmans capsule into glomerulus. Any changes occur in these forces will lead to change in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measurement of the amount of glomerular filtrate (a substance similar to blood plasma but without proteins) formed in the kidneys each minute. It can be assessed by measuring the excretory ability and the substance level in plasma that freely filtered through the glomerulus. Some of the substances will not appear in the glomerular filtrate unless they have reached a certain concentration in blood. Glucose is such a substance that does not appear in the urine until it reaches high concentration in the blood (11.0 mmol/L). Whereas other substances like creatinine excreted without appreciable reabsorption. Creatinine is an endogenous substance, an end product of nitrogen metabolism formed through a series of enzymatic reaction in the liver. The contraction of skeletal muscle involves both creatine and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the presence of creatine kinase enzyme. The creatine formed from phosphocreatine gives the final end product creatinin e which is instantly filtered at glomerulus without any tubular reabsorption. Therefore creatinine can be used to estimate the clearance ability of kidney, but it is not a perfect marker as it is secreted. This involves the measurement of substance concentration in urine and plasma using the following clearance formula: (U/P) * (V/T) = mls/min Renal failure Diseases affecting the kidneys can damage glomerular or tubular function. Failure of renal function may occur rapidly producing the syndrome of acute renal failure which is characterized by rapid loss of renal function with retention of urea, creatinine, hydrogen ions and other metabolic products. However chronic renal failure develops often over many years leading to end-stage of renal failure where patients require either long term dialysis or a successful renal transplant to survive. Diabetes and hypertension are the two commonest causes of chronic renal failure with other causes including glomerulonephritis of any type Aim of the test To estimate renal function in two different patients using creatinine clearance test. Materials and method Please refer to medical biochemistry practical book (BMS2). Result: The equation obtained from the graph used for the calculation of creatinine concentration is: Y = 0.0008 X Where: Y = absorbance X = concentration of creatinine in umol/L. P 1: X = 0.073/0.0008 = 91.25 umol/L P 2: X = 0.346/0.0008 = 432 umol/L U 1: X = 0.621/0.0008 = 776.25 x 21 = 16301.25 umol/L U 2: X = 0.736/0.0008 = 468.75 x 21 = 9843.75 umol/L Key: P1 is plasma of patient 1. P2 is plasma of patient 2. U1 is urine sample of patient 1 U2 is urine sample of patient 2 Therefore the creatinine clearance is calculated by using the following formula: (U/P) * (V/T) mls/min U = urine creatinine umol/L P = plasma creatinine umol/L V = volume of urine passed in given time T = time of collection Creatinine clearance for patient 1: = 16301.25/91.25 * 1000/1440 = 211.438 * 0.694 = 124 mls/min Creatinine clearance for patient 2: = 9843.75/ 432 * 3000/1440 = 22.786 * 2.083 = 47.46 mls/min Conclusion: From the above results I conclude that patient 1 has got normal renal function whereas patient 2 has renal failure. Discussion The creatinine calibration graph shows good linearity which indicates that the patients results obtained are correct. The clearance test more often concern about how much of a specific substance the kidney can remove from a given volume of blood in a stated period. In this experiment the creatinine clearance test was used to estimate GFR in two different patients based on the principle of Jaffe reaction (picric acid with alkaline solution from red to orange complex). A standard curve was produced using the absorbance reading against the standard concentration. A straight linear relationship obtained which means that as the optical density increase the creatinine concentration will increase. The equation obtained from the graph (Y = 0.0008 X) is used to calculate the plasma and urine creatinine concentration of two patients. The plasma creatinine concentration for patient 1 is 91.25 umol/L, which means it is within the normal reference ranges (adult 60-120 umol/L).Marshal, (2000). Also the urine creatinine concentration (19293.75umol/L) for the same patient support the plasma concentration in which simply means that creatinine excretion by kidney was regularly. In contrast, patient 2 has got increased plasma creatinine concentration when compared with normal reference range which is 432 umol/L. That means the creatinine being not filtered regularly into urine. There is no history of patient is provided and it is not stated whether the patient is male or female which can aid the diagnosis. However, there is not much difference between male and female normal reference ranges (adult 60-120 umol/L). The clinical data are good in detecting the presence of renal disease, by its effect on renal function and is in assessing its progress but they will not assess the determination of the cause of the disease. Therefore several factors should be kept in mind when doing creatinine estimation. These factors are: there will be reduced creatinine concentration in children, women and during pregnancy. Meals which contain meat will raise plasma creatinine, also certain drugs (e.g. salicylates, cimetidine) increase plasma creatinine by inhibiting tubular secretion of creatinine. From the result, it is noticeable that patient 1 has got normal creatinine clearance (124 mls/min) when compared with the reference ranges. This means that this patient got normal GFR and normal renal functioning units. The creatinine clearance for patient 2 is very low (47.4 mls/min) when compared with the normal reference range and with patient 1 who has normal GFR. As mentioned earlier the plasma creatinine was high and the urine creatinine was low for this patient which gives strong suggestion that this patient represent with kidney disorder mostly chronic failure. Although the clinical finding help the diagnosis, but the requirement of further test is needed to identify the cause and to confirm disorder. Renal failure is divided into two types, acute renal failure and chronic renal failure. An acute onset is severe enough to cause kidney failure and is characterized by oliguria (less urine). The major cause of acute failure is tubular necrosis. Other common causes are loss of huge amount of blood during accident or surgery, toxic drugs and poising e.g. lead, or infection. Acute renal failure may develop gradually to a chronic renal failure. Chronic renal failure occurs when disease or disorder damages the kidneys so that they can no longer remove fluids and wastes from the body or maintain proper levels of kidney-regulated chemicals in the bloodstream. The four most common causes of chronic kidney failure are: Diabetes: Diabetes Mellitus (DM), both insulin dependent (IDDM) and non-insulin dependent (NIDDM), occurs when the body cannot produce and/or use insulin, the hormone which is necessary for the body to process glucose. Long-term diabetes may cause the glomeruli to gradually loss function. In fact, progression may be slow gradual which means the symptoms do not occur until the GFR falls below 15 ml/min. Marshal, (2000). High blood pressure: hypertension is both cause and result of kidney failure. The kidney can become stressed and ultimately sustain permanent damage from blood pushing through them at excessive pressure over long periods of time. Glomerulonephritis is an inflammation of glomeruli, or filtering units of the kidney. The filter in glomerulus is damaged; often small holes are made mostly due to streptococcal infection. Polycystic kidney disease: it is an inherited disorder that causes cysts to form in the kidneys. These cysts impair the regular functioning of the kidney. Less common causes of chronic kidney failure are kidney cancer, obstructions such as kidney stones, pyelonephtitis. Initially, symptoms of chronic kidney failure develop slowly. Even individuals with mild to moderate kidney failure may have few symptoms in spite of increased urea in their blood. Among sings and symptoms that may be present at this point are frequent urination during the night and high blood pressure. Most symptoms of chronic kidney failure are not apparent until kidney disease has progressed significantly. Common symptoms are: Anaemia: The kidneys are responsible for production of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red cell production. If the kidney disease causes shrinking of the kidney, the red cell production is hampered. Bone and joint problems: The kidneys produce vitamin D, which help in absorption of calcium and keeps bones strong. In patients with kidney failure, bones may become brittle, and in children, normal growth may be stunted. Joint pain may also occur as a result of unchecked phosphate levels in the blood. Foamy or bloody urine: Protein in the urine may cause it to foam significantly. Blood in the urine may indicate bleeding from diseased or obstructed kidneys, bladder, or ureter. Hypertension or high blood pressure: The retention of fluids and sodium causes blood volume to increase, which in turn causes blood pressure to rise. Low back pain: Pain where the kidneys are located, in the small of the back below the ribs. Nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting: Urea in the gastric juices may cause upset stomach and this can lead to malnutrition and weight loss. Questions What protein would not be detected by dip sticks, and how would you detect it? Bence Jones proteins are low molecular weight proteins (light chains of immunoglobulin) and found in urine in patient with Myeloma. They are small enough to move quickly and easily through the kidney into urine. These proteins can be detected by doing protein electrophoresis of concentrated urine What is the clinical finding in the unusual condition orthostatic proteinuria? Orthostatic proteinuria is a benign condition that effect children and young adults. The patients are only exhibiting proteinuria after they have been standing up. Orthostatic proteinuria arises as a result of an increase in the hydrostatic pressure in the renal veins. Protein will not be detectable in an early morning sample when tested using dipstick. The patient is instructed to empty the bladder just before going to bed, and the test for protein is performed on a specimen of urine passed the following morning, immediately after getting up the condition is usually observed in only some of the urine samples passed when up and about (with good prognosis). The prognosis is less good in patients in whom proteinuria is always detected when they are up and about. What are the factors predisposing to renal stone formation? A kidney stone is a hard mineral and crystalline material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones are a common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen. The factors predisposing to renal stone formation are: Reduction of fluid intake Increased exercise with dehydration Medications that cause hyperuricemia (high uric acid) and excessive intake of calcium supplements Diet can also influence stone formation e.g. oxalate (ice tea and colas) Urinary tract infections Family history of urinary calculi Certain diseases :hyperparathyroidism (causes calcium loss from bone), renal tubular acidosis(causes a deficiency in urinary citrate, a stone inhibitor) Urinary stagnation

Black Bodies And Its Effects On African American s...

This passage within Citizen is showing the reinforcing of deviance and racist ideals. Black bodies are described throughout beginning â€Å"My Brothers are notorious†. Revealing an unconscious notion that depicting blackness having a criminal reputation and immoral qualities. For instance, Rankine is presenting a metaphor showing how easily we have distinguished black bodies from other bodies: â€Å"On the tip of a tongue, one note following another is another, another dawn where the pink sky is the bloodshot of struck of sleepless of sorry of senseless, shush†(89). In other words, black bodies within this text are constructed as a product by society’s perception. Race is used to construct the valve and reaffirm African American’s position as a subordinate class. According to Oxford Dictionary Online defines pink as â€Å"highest or most desirable state in excellent health or spirit†. Connecting this definition to the passage, suggests pink symboli zes the innocence of the body. The passage is showing black bodies are tainted by numerous negative stereotypes and false pretenses. Black bodies are deprived of their essential innocence and subjected to endure a path with more obstacles and separating them away from their oppressors. This creates a delinquent subculture for African Americans that differs from the dominant subculture. It stigmatizes African Americans to appear more savage and aggressive. The African American class is measured in a standard that directly opposes the socialShow MoreRelated Racial and Cultural Test Bias, Stereotype Threat and Their Implications3799 Words   |  16 Pagespsychological research has consistently demonstrated that African American students underperform academically relative to White students. 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Bite Me A Love Story Chapter 10 Free Essays

10. Unlikely Knights THE EMPEROR They called it Wine Country. What it was, in fact, was an area south of Market Street, adjacent to the Tenderloin, where liquor stores sold a high volume, yet small variety, of fortified wines like Thunderbird, Richard’s Wild Irish Rose, and MD 20-20 (known in the wine world as Mad Dog, for the propensity of its drinkers to urinate publicly and turn around three times before passing out on the sidewalk). We will write a custom essay sample on Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 10 or any similar topic only for you Order Now While Wine Country was technically the SOMA, or the â€Å"fashionable† South of Market Street neighborhood, it had yet to draw the young professional crowd that sprayed everything with a shiny coat of latte and money, as had its waterfront neighbor. No, Wine Country consisted mainly of run-down apartments, sleazy residence hotels, deeply skeezy porn theaters, and old industrial buildings, which now housed mini-storage units. Oh, and a huge Federal Building that looked like it was being molested by a giant steel pterodactyl, but evidently that was just the government trying to get away from their standard bomb shelter architecture to something more aesthetically appealing, especially if you liked Godzilla porn. It was in the shadow of that architectural abomination that the Emperor had taken his search for the alpha vampire cat. He and the men didn’t spend much time in Wine Country, as he had lost a decade in a bottle somewhere and had since forsworn the grape. But it was his city, and he knew it like the cat-scratch scars on Bummer’s muzzle. â€Å"Steadfast, gents, steadfast,† said the Emperor, throwing his shoulder against a Dumpster behind a hundred-year-old brick building. Bummer and Lazarus had commenced low, rumbling growls since they’d come into the alley, as if there were tiny semi-trucks idling in their chests. They were close. The Dumpster rolled aside on rusty wheels, revealing a basement window with a sheet of plywood loosely fitted into it. The building had once housed a brewery, but had long since been refitted for storage, except for the basement, half of which had been bricked off from the inside. But this window had been forgotten, and it led to an underground chamber completely unknown to the police, where William, and other people who succumbed to the Wine Country’s charms, would seek shelter from the rain or the cold. Of course, you had to be drunk to think it was a good place to stay. Except for the spot by the window, the basement was completely dark, as well as damp, rat infested, and reeking of urine. As he pulled away the plywood, the Emperor heard a high sizzling sound, and the smell of burning hair came streaming out the window. Bummer barked. The Emperor turned away and coughed, fanned the smoke away from his face, and then peered into the basement. All over the visible parts of the floor, cat cadavers were smoldering, burning, and reducing to ash as the sun hit them. There were scores of them, and those were just the ones the Emperor could see from the window light. â€Å"This appears to be the place, gents,† he said, patting Lazarus’s side. Bummer snorted, tossed his head, and ruffed three times fast, which translated to, â€Å"I thought I would enjoy the smell of burning cats more, but strangely, no.† The Emperor got on his hands and knees, then backed through the window. His overcoat caught on the window sill and actually helped him in lowering his great bulk to the floor. Lazarus stuck his head in the window and whimpered, which translated to, â€Å"I’m a little uneasy about you being in there by yourself.† He measured the distance from the window to the basement floor and pranced, preparing himself to leap into the abyss. â€Å"No, you stay, good Lazarus,† said the Emperor. â€Å"I fear I wouldn’t be able to lift you out once you are down here.† With the ashes of burned cats crunching under his shoes the Emperor made his way across the room until he reached the end of the direct light that lay across the floor like a dingy gray carpet. To move farther he’d have to step on the bodies of the sleeping-well, dead-cats, as even in the shadows, he could see that the floor was covered with feline corpses. The Emperor shuddered and fought the urge to bolt to the window. He was not a particularly brave man, but had an overly developed sense of duty to his city, and putting himself in harm’s way to protect her was something he was compelled to do, despite the acute case of the willies that was crawling up his spine like an enormous centipede. â€Å"There must be another entrance,† the Emperor said, more to calm himself than to actually impart information. â€Å"Perhaps not large enough for a man, or I would have known.† He tentatively nudged a dead cat aside with his toe, cringing as he did it. The vision of the vampire cats engulfing the samurai swordsman filled his head and he had to shake it off before taking another step. â€Å"A flashlight might have been a good idea,† he said. He didn’t have a flashlight, however. What he had were five books of matches and a cheap, serrated-edged chef’s knife that he’d found in a trash can. This would be the weapon he’d use to dispatch the vampire cat, Chet. In his younger, naà ¯ve days, last month, he’d carried a wooden sword, thinking to stake the vampires in the heart, movie style, but he’d seen the old vampire nearly torn apart by explosions, gunfire, and spear guns by the Animals when they’d destroyed his yacht, and none of it seemed as effective as had the little swordsman he’d seen in the SOMA. Still, a flashlight would have been nice. He lit a match and held it before him as he moved into the dark, working his foot between cat bodies with each step. When the match burned his fingers, he lit another. Bummer barked, the sharp report echoed through the basement. The Emperor turned and realized that he’d somehow made his way around a corner and the window was no longer visible. He reached inside his great overcoat and felt for the handle of the chef’s knife, which was stuck in his belt at the small of his back. He pushed on, moving into another room, a large one as far as he could tell, but still, to the edge of the match light, the bodies of cats littered the floor, most of them lying on their sides as if they’d just dropped over, or in awkward piles, as if they’d been in the middle playing, or fighting, or mating when something suddenly switched them off like a light switch. Another distant bark from Bummer, then a deeper one from Lazarus. â€Å"I’m fine, men, I’ll be finished with this and back out in no time.† Well into his third book of matches, the Emperor saw a steel door, partly ajar. He made his way to it; the dead cats thinned out and then there was a bit of a clearing in the carnage, although only for a foot or two, as if a path had been cleared, but a narrow one. He stood and caught his breath. He heard men’s voices, but coming from back by the window, amid them more barking and now snarling from the men. â€Å"I’m in here!† the Emperor called. â€Å"I’m in here. The men are with me!† Then a distant voice. â€Å"Mo-fuckas need to cover this up. The City see it they brick this bitch up, then where we go when it rain?† There was a thump, then a grating noise, a rusty creaking, and the Emperor realized it was the sound of the plywood being fit back into the window and the heavy Dumpster pushed into place before it. â€Å"Block them wheels,† said the voice. â€Å"I’m here! I’m here!† called the Emperor. He gritted his teeth, preparing to run across the deep carpet of cat corpses to the window, but he hesitated, the match burned his fingers, and darkness fell upon him. THE ANIMALS â€Å"I’m pretty sure it’s the Apocalypse,† said Clint, not even looking up from his red-letter King James Bible. The Animals were spread out in various positions around the basketball court, playing HORSE. Clint, Troy Lee, and Drew sat with their backs to the chain-link fence. Troy Lee was trying to read over Clint’s shoulder, Drew was packing pot into the bowl of a purple carbon-fiber sports bong. Cavuto and Rivera made their way around the outside of the court. â€Å"What’s up my niggas!† came a scratchy, wizened voice-totally out of place for the surroundings-like someone smacking a fiery fart out of a tiny dragon with a badminton racket. Rivera stopped and turned toward a small figure who stood at the foul line dressed in enormous sneakers and an Oakland Raiders hoody big enough for a pro offensive tackle. Except for the cat-rim glasses, it looked like Gangsta Yoda, only not so green. â€Å"That’s Troy Lee’s grandma,† said the tall kid, Jeff. â€Å"You have to give her a pound or she’s going to keep saying it.† Indeed, she had a fist in the air, waiting for a pound. â€Å"You go ahead,† said Cavuto. â€Å"You’re ethnic.† Rivera made his way to the tiny woman and despite feeling completely embarrassed about it, bumped fists with her. â€Å"Troot,† said Grandma. â€Å"Truth,† said Rivera. He looked to Lash, who had been the ad hoc leader of the Animals after Tommy Flood was turned vampire. â€Å"You okay with this?† Lash shrugged. â€Å"What are you gonna do? Besides, it’s prolly the Apocalypse. No time to roll all politically correct up in this bitch when the world is ending.† â€Å"It’s not the Apocalypse,† said Cavuto. â€Å"It’s definitely not the Apocalypse.† â€Å"I’m pretty sure it is,† said Troy Lee, looking over Clint’s shoulder at Revelation. They all gathered around the seated Animals. Rivera took out his notebook, then shrugged and put it back in his pocket. This wasn’t going to be in any report. Drew sparked up the bong, bubbled a long hit, then handed it to Barry, the balding scuba diver, who inhaled the extra off the top. â€Å"We’re cops, you know?† said Cavuto, not sounding that sure of it himself. Drew shrugged and exhaled a skunky blast. â€Å"S’okay, it’s medical.† â€Å"What medical? You have a card? What’s your condition?† Drew produced a blue card from his shirt pocket and held it up. â€Å"I’m anxious.† â€Å"That’s not a condition,† said Cavuto, snapping the card out of Drew’s hand. â€Å"And this is a library card.† † Reading makes him anxious,† said Lash. â€Å"It’s a condition,† said Jeff, trying to look somber. â€Å"It’s for arthritis,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"He doesn’t have arthritis. It’s not a thing.† Cavuto was pulling handcuffs out of the pouch on his belt. â€Å"She does,† said Troy Lee, pointing to his grandmother. The old woman grinned, held up her card, flashed an arthritic â€Å"West Coast† gang sign, and said, â€Å"What’s up, my nigga?† â€Å"I’m not giving her a pound,† said Cavuto. â€Å"She’s like ninety. You must. It is our way,† said Troy Lee in his mysterious ancient Chinese secret voice. From his sitting position, he bowed a little at the end for effect. Cavuto had to bend down to give the old woman a pound. â€Å"You know you’ll never escape the killer cats in those giant shoes,† he said. â€Å"She doesn’t understand,† said Barry. â€Å"No comprende English,† said Gustavo. â€Å"Cats?† said Rivera. â€Å"Your message.† â€Å"Yeah, you said to call if anything weird happened,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Actually, we said not to call us,† said Cavuto. â€Å"Really? Whatever. Anyway, the Emperor came banging on the store windows last night all freaked out about vampire cats.† â€Å"Did you see them?† â€Å"Yeah, there were shitloads. And I don’t know how you’re going to take them down. That’s why it’s pretty obvious that it’s the Apocalypse.† Clint, the born-again, now looked up. â€Å"I figure that the number of the beast is a number of how many. So, there were like six hundred sixty-six at least.† â€Å"Although it was hard to count,† said Drew. â€Å"They were in a cloud.† Rivera looked to Troy Lee for explanation. â€Å"It was like they’d all gone to vapor, like we saw the old vampire trying to do that night we blew up his yacht. Except they were all merged into one, big-ass vampire cloud.† â€Å"Yeah, it started coming into the store, even with the door locked,† said Jeff, now at the foul line, sinking his fourth swish in a row. â€Å"How’d you stop it?† Cavuto asked. â€Å"Wet towel under the door,† said Barry. â€Å"It’s what you do when you’re smoking weed in a hotel and you don’t want everyone calling security. You’re always supposed to have a towel. I read about it in a guide for hitchhiking through the galaxy.† â€Å"Skills,† said Drew, a little glassy-eyed now. â€Å"But, if not for the wet towel, it was the Apocalypse,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Clint is looking in the book of Revelation for the part about the towel now.† â€Å"I hope it’s like Thunder Dome Apocalypse,† said Jeff. â€Å"Not zombies trying to eat your brain Apocalypse.† â€Å"I’m pretty sure it’s going to be, city-wiped-out-by-vampire-cats Apocalypse,† said Barry. â€Å"You know, just going on what we know.† â€Å"It’s not the Apocalypse,† said Cavuto. â€Å"So, what happened?† Rivera asked. â€Å"The cloud just went away?† â€Å"Yeah, it sort of distilled to a big herd of cats and they went running every which way. But what do we do tonight if it comes back? The Emperor led it right to us.† â€Å"Where is the Emperor?† â€Å"He went off this morning with his dogs. Said he thought he knew where the prime vampire cat might be and that he and the men would dispatch it and save his city.† â€Å"And you let him?† â€Å"He’s the Emperor, Inspector. You can’t tell him shit.† Rivera looked at Cavuto. â€Å"Call dispatch to post a bulletin to call us if anyone sees the Emperor.† â€Å"We’re not getting off work today, are we?† said Cavuto. â€Å"Take an Apocalypse day,† said Barry. â€Å"Woo-hoo! Apocalypse day!† Troy Lee’s grandma fired off a barrage of Cantonese to her grandson, who replied with the same. The old woman shrugged and looked up at Cavuto and Rivera and spoke for about thirty seconds, then went and took the ball from Jeff, then shot a complete air ball, at which everyone cheered. â€Å"What? What?† said Cavuto. â€Å"She wanted to know what Barry was woo-hooing about, so I told her.† â€Å"What did she say?† â€Å"She said no big deal. They had vampire cats in Beijing when she was a girl. She said their shit is weak.† â€Å"She said that?† â€Å"The idiom is different, but basically, yeah.† â€Å"Oh good,† said Cavuto, â€Å"I feel better.† â€Å"We need to find the Emperor,† Rivera said. Cavuto pulled the car keys out of his jacket. â€Å"And pick up our Apocalypse jackets.† â€Å"What about us?† asked Lash. Rivera didn’t even look back when he said, â€Å"You guys have more experience fighting vampires than anyone on the planet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We do, don’t we?† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Oh, we are so fucked,† said Lash. â€Å"That’s sad,† said Drew, repacking the bowl of the bong. â€Å"Really sad.† THE EMPEROR Darkness. He waited a moment, listening to his pulse beat in his ears before striking another match. â€Å"Courage,† he whispered to himself, a mantra, an affirmation, a sound to keep him from jumping out of his own skin at every creak or rustle in the dark. He lit the match, held it aloft. He pulled at the big steel door, throwing his weight, and it moved a few inches. Perhaps this was the other way out. It was clear that all these cats hadn’t come in through the window, not with the plywood blocking it. He elbowed the door aside, feeling the resistance of a drift of dormant vampire cats piled up against it. When the opening was wide enough to squeeze through, he put his shoulder inside, then paused as the match went out from the movement. He was inside, and the floor seemed clear at his feet, although it felt as if he was standing on powder. As he lit the next match he hoped to see a stairway, a hallway, perhaps another boarded-up window, but in fact what he saw was that he was in a small storeroom fitted with wide metal shelves. The floor was indeed covered with a thick layer of dust, and among it, rumpled clothing. Ragged overcoats, jeans, and work boots, but also brightly colored satin garments, hot pants, and halter tops, tall platform shoes in fluorescent colors, dingy under the dust and darkness. These had been people. Homeless people and hookers. The fiends had actually dragged people down here and fed on them-sucked them to dust, as the little Goth girl had termed it. But how? No matter how strong or ravenous, the cats were still just housecats before they had turned. And they hadn’t seemed cooperative. He couldn’t imagine a pack of twenty vampire cats dragging a fully grown person down here. It didn’t make sense. The match burned his finger and he tossed it aside, then pulled the knife from his belt before lighting the next. When the next match flared, he saw something on one of the high shelves at the far side of the room. Something quite a bit larger than a housecat. Perhaps it was one of their victims who had survived. He adjusted his grip on the knife and moved forward, trying not to cringe as the dusty clothing clung to his feet and ankles. No, not a cat. At least not a housecat. But it had fur. And a tail. But it was the size of an eight-year-old child, and it was snuggled up against something even larger. The Emperor raised the knife and stepped forward, then stopped. â€Å"Well, you don’t see that every day,† he said. The cat thing was spooning the naked form of Tommy Flood. How to cite Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 10, Essay examples