Kidney Test

Kidney Tests And High Kidney Levels

A kidney test is important because many people with kidney disease don't know they have it. Kidneys can lose a large percentage of their capability before symptoms appear, and in many cases the patient may be dangerously close to kidney failure. That's why a kidney test that measures elevated kidney enzymes (also called high kidney levels) can be critical, and even life saving.

When choosing a kidney test to diagnose a potential kidney problem, your doctor has a number of options. Here is a list of possibilities.

Kidney tests using blood and urine

Blood test for kidney problems There is a common and reliable kidney function blood test.

There are two major metabolic wastes excreted by the kidneys: urea nitrogen and creatinine. When you have kidney disease, these waste products and a number of other are excreted abnormally. They accumulate in the blood, and elevated kidney enzymes can be measured. These high kidney levels indicate that something is wrong.

Urine test If you get a regular physical check up, you know that one of the things your doctor will want to have analyzed is a urine sample. This is also a form of kidney test. When there's a problem with the kidneys, substances show up in your urine that shouldn't be there. Typically, if proteins and red blood cells are present in urine, it means filters in your kidneys are not performing as they should.

The most common ways to analyze urine include the following.

Urine dipstick Yes, it's a bit of an uncomfortable leap to think of someone using a dipstick to check urine the way they put a dipstick in your vehicle to check oil levels. Well, a urine dipstick is a lot different but the principle is similar. For one thing, the urine is in a jar - not still inside you.

This type of kidney test is composed of a small flat plastic stick with chemically-sensitive paper squares. When the papers are dipped into urine, they change color. Your doctor or medical technician can look at the colors and tell pretty quickly if something's in the urine that shouldn't be.

Urine sediment examination This kidney test makes use of a centrifuge. Urine is placed in a test tube and spun. The sediment separates and goes to the bottom, where it can be examined microscopically. This can be extremely in diagnosing whether you have a kidney problem.

Urine protein determination This kidney test measures the ratio of protein to creatinine. The higher the ratio, the more likely that there's kidney damage or kidney disease.

Urine microalbumin determination A urine protein determination may not be helpful if there's only a tiny amount of protein in the sample. In such cases, a microalbumin determination is an option. This test measures albumin to creatinine ratio. Albumin is a protein in the blood that helps maintain the proper water balance in the body. When a tiny amount of albumin is present (30 micrograms of albumin per gram of creatinine), it usually means something is wrong in the kidneys. This is especially true for diabetics.

Imaging tests

There are some very reliable imaging tests that provide painless ways to analyze the state of your kidneys. Some have complicated sounding medical names and lots of alphabetical abbreviations. We'll try to keep it as basic as possible.

BUN and serum creatinine test As noted above, elevated creatinine and kidney problems are related. This type of kidney test measures blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels.

Glomerular Filtration Rate, also known as the GFR This kidney test measures the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney, and in doing so measures how well your kidneys are functioning.

Creatinine clearance This kidney test is not a favorite of most patients with kidney problems (and often, their spouses). You have to collect your urine for 24 hours. Sometime during the 24 hours a blood sample is also taken, a formula applied, and some calculations made to get a glomerular filtration rate.
 
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate, or EGFR This is a formula that has been developed based on your age, gender, ethnicity, and blood serum creatinine level. The formula has turned out to be exceptionally accurate.

When doing a kidney test, doctors also make use of ultrasound, CAT scans, MRIs and IVP's (intravenous pyelogram) to diagnose renal problems. 

Biopsy, tissue testing

It's probably safe to say that everyone's least favorite kidney test is the biopsy. It can be called either a kidney biopsy or a renal biopsy. This involves taking a small sample of the kidney through an incision. The doctor anesthetizes the area where the incision is made.

After the procedure, the patient has to lie still for 4-6 hours to guard against bleeding in the kidney. The tissue is then tested and a diagnosis made.

One of the simplest tests is...

A routine blood pressure reading. Can high blood pressure cause kidney problems? You bet it can. High blood pressure is especially tough on kidneys. So if your doctor finds you have high blood pressure, he or she may also want to check for kidney problems.

Learn more about the dangers of kidney disease by clicking on the book cover below or

The Kidney Disease Solution

 
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