Kidney function tests : Purpose, types and procedures

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on May 09, 2020

It is a well-known fact that the kidney is considered as one of the most useful organs of our body and even the silliest damage to the kidney may lead to serious physical complexions. Kidney filters waste materials from the blood. Besides, it controls the water level and also the level of so many other materials in the body. This is the prime reason why staying up to date about the condition of the kidney is necessary, which is only possible through a kidney function test. Some of the prime purposes of a kidney function test are briefly mentioned below for you.

Purposes of Kidney function test

• Kidney function tests can be performed if you are having any specific condition that may cause harm to your kidneys. For example, the doctor may suggest you to go for a kidney function test if you are having high blood pressure or diabetes.
• If it is suspected by medical experts that your kidney functionalities are getting hampered, then you can be suggested to go for a kidney function test.

If you are suggested to go for a kidney function test, then never make a regrettable decision of skipping the test. Some of the specific types of kidney function tests are briefly mentioned below for you.

Types of Kidney Function test

• Serum Creatinine test: This specific type of blood test determines the production of creatinine in your blood. Extreme level of Creatinine signifies the possibilities of kidney problems.
• Urinalysis: Screening of protein and blood in the urine is the prime objective of this test. Infection increases the amount of protein in the urine. So the presence of protein is also a sign that one can have kidney issues.
• Blood Urea Nitrogen: This test helps to get information about the waste materials in the blood. The BUN level indicates the presence of kidney problems.
• Estimated GFR: Some factors are checked through this test such as age, gender, race, weight, height etc to determine that the kidney is filtering waste in a proper manner or not.

Nowadays, these test facilities are available in the greater percentage of pathology labs. However, there procedures of these tests. Some of them are briefly mentioned below for you.

Kidney test Procedures

• 24 Hours urine sample: This is mainly a creatinine clearance test. It helps the pathologists to know about the amount of Creatinine that your body produces in a day.
• Blood Sample: Collecting blood samples is mandatory to perform BUN and creatinine tests. After the blood sample is collected from the arm, it is sent to the laboratory into a test tube.

Each and every of these above mentioned tests are necessary for any person who is having kidney issues. Get in touch with a reliable pathology lab to fetch more necessary information in this regard.