GFR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GFR - Essay Example Various tests are carried out once the disease is detected which include – Blood tests, urine tests, ultra sonogram and biopsy. Blood is checked for creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. The normal range for creatinine is 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dl and that of blood urea is 7 to 20 milligrams per decilitre of blood. If it exceeds, then the kidney is not functioning properly. The test carried out will also show the level of protein in the blood-(Proteinuria) A reference range which is both cost effective and quick can also be used to check protein levels in the urine. The normal renal protein excretion is less than 150mg/24 hours. The glomeruli normally filters around 75 to 10 mg/24 hours. Albumin is too thick to pass through the glomerulus and may cause damage. Therefore this test would show the damage if any. Normally the albumin that passes through is around 25-300 mg/ 24 hours. Dip stick tests detect albumin levels and if the level of urine proteinnuria is above 2gms/24 hours, it results in glomerulus disease. The maximum rate at which a substance can be cleared from the plasma is the GFR of that substance. Substances which are freely filtered by the glomerulus and are not secreted or absorbed can be used. Creatinine which is a by product of metabolism and is present in the blood can be checked by testing the concentration of creatinine and plasma within the 24 hour period. In acute cases of kidney failure, a dialysis machine is used on the patient because the kidneys of the patient are not capable of clearing the blood of harmful substances including toxins. This machine consists of tubes which are inserted into major veins to filter or purify his blood. In a patient is suffering from renal disease, his GFR an go down to about 50- 60 ml/min and still no symptoms are shown. But, if the GFR goes as low as 15 – 20ml/ per minute then dialysis is definitely