Investigations in Kidney Disease

Abstract

Blood tests • Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) -The best measure of your kidney function. It shows how well your kidneys are cleaning the blood. Your eGFR is usually estimated (eGFR) from the results of the creatinine blood test. eGFR is reported in millilitres per minute per 1.73m2(mL/min/1.73m2). An e GFR of 100 mL/min/1.73m2 is in the normal range so it is useful to say that 100 mL/min/1.73m2 is about equal to ‘100% kidney function’. An eGFR of 50 mL/min/1.73m2 could be called ‘50% kidney function’. • Creatinine A waste product made by the muscles. It is usually removed from the blood by the kidneys and passes out in the urine. When the kidneys aren’t working well, creatinine stays in the blood. Creatinine varies with age, gender and body weight so is not an accurate way of measuring overall kidney function. When on dialysis creatinine levels are always high.