Tests for Kidney Function

Pictures

kidney function tests picture jpg

Blood or urine is commonly collected to test for how the kidneys are functioning Some kidney function tests include creatine creatinine urine creatine clearance and BUN test

---

6869615 jpg

Blood or urine is commonly collected to test for how the kidneys are functioning Some kidney function tests include creatine creatinine urine creatine clearance and BUN test

---

which is more invasive can locate a narrowing or blockage

which is more invasive can locate a narrowing or blockage can measure blood flow and can be used to sample blood for testing In this test your physician injects a contrast dye into your vessels through a small catheter and then takes x rays The structure inside of your vessels appears on the x ray because x rays cannot pass through the dye This test finds the location and pattern of blockages in your kidney blood vessels The dye itself is later excreted through your kidneys and it sometimes can affect their function which allows your physician to see your blood vessels and organs using high frequency sound waves Using ultrasound your physician can locate clots or narrow areas inside your arteries and also determine the size of your kidney which creates detailed three dimensional images from x rays of slices of your body   This study also sometimes uses contrast dye Your physician will recommend the following tests to help determine if you have renal artery stenosis What tests will I need

---

Drawing of a kidney Labels show where blood with wastes enter

In the nephron left tiny blood vessels intertwine with urine collecting tubes Each kidney contains about 1 million nephrons The actual removal of wastes occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons Each kidney has about a million nephrons In the nephron a glomerulus which is a tiny blood vessel or capillary intertwines with a tiny urine collecting tube called a tubule The glomerulus acts as a filtering unit or sieve and keeps normal proteins and cells in the bloodstream allowing extra fluid and wastes to pass through A complicated chemical exchange takes place as waste materials and water leave the blood and enter the urinary system At first the tubules receive a combination of waste materials and chemicals the body can still use The kidneys measure out chemicals like sodium phosphorus and potassium and release them back to the blood to return to the body In this way the kidneys regulate the body s level of these substances The right balance is necessary for life

---

Anatomical diagram of a female figure with a transplanted kidney

Kidney transplantation A donated kidney may come from an anonymous donor who has recently died or from a living person usually a relative The kidney must be a good match for the patient s body The more the new kidney is like the person receiving the kidney the less likely the immune system is to reject it The immune system protects a person from disease by attacking anything that is not recognized as a normal part of the body So the immune system will attack a kidney that appears too foreign The patient will take special drugs to help trick the immune system so it does not reject the transplanted kidney Unless they are causing infection or high blood pressure the diseased kidneys are left in place Kidneys from living related donors appear to be the best match for success but kidneys from unrelated people also have a long survival rate Patients approaching kidney failure should ask their doctor early about starting the process to receive a kidney transplant Points to Remember

---

filtra gif

this dysfunction Renal function tests are used to screen for kidney disease to help determine the cause of kidney disease the to determine the extent of renal dysfunction Renal failure is a loss of renal function characterized by uremia the retention of nitrogenous wastes in the blood Acute renal failure is rapid in onset and can often be

---

Drawing of a man receiving hemodialysis treatment Labels point

Hemodialysis The two major forms of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis Hemodialysis uses a special filter called a dialyzer that functions as an artificial kidney to clean a person s blood The dialyzer is a canister connected to the hemodialysis machine During treatment the blood travels through tubes into the dialyzer which filters out wastes extra salt and extra water Then the cleaned blood flows through another set of tubes back into the body The hemodialysis machine monitors blood flow and removes wastes from the dialyzer Hemodialysis is usually performed at a dialysis center three times per week for 3 to 4 hours A small but growing number of clinics offer home hemodialysis in addition to standard in clinic treatments The patient first learns to do treatments at the clinic working with a dialysis nurse Daily home hemodialysis is done 5 to 7 days per week for 2 to 3 hours at a time Nocturnal dialysis can be performed for 8 hours at night while a person sleeps Research as to which is the best method for dialysis is under way but preliminary data indicate that daily dialysis schedules such as short daily dialysis or nocturnal dialysis may be the best form of dialysis therapy Dialysis

---

kelly33 jpg

she was sick She continued to rule the roost with the other dogs We stabilized her kidney function with the help of the prescription food and she stayed stable for almost 18 months Her kidney function tests started to elevate in early 1995 This showed that her actual kidney function was starting to weaken I once again focused solely on Kelly and her health I

---

Tigerlily 137 365

<a href= http bighugelabs com onblack php id=3724456496 rel= nofollow >Orange On Black< a> Here s a little lesson for all of you inspired by the lily on my hat in this photo While very pretty lilies are my least favorite flower In fact I despise lilies now Six years ago I picked some lilies much like this one from the bed beside my driveway I brought them inside arranged them in a vase and enjoyed the bright color they brought into my house They weren t out where my new little cat Samson could get to them They were up on a high counter he was physically incapable or at least he thought he was of jumping that high I would prune off the dying blooms each day as they started to shrivel up No problem Well one day I came home from work and went about my usual relaxation routine beer tv pajamas After a little while I started hearing a horrible hacking in the hallway I found my sweet little Samson throwing up Violently And there was something strange in it Being a good see neurotic mother I went to the kitchen got a plastic fork and fished out the funny yellowish looking thing from the pile I realized it was a lily I called my mom right away to ask her what I should do See my cat isn t really a frequent puker so the fact that he was throwing up so much was really worrying me She told me it would probably be fine because he had obviously thrown the lily up To this day I don t think I ve ever been happier that I ignored my mother s well meant advice I got online and started googling plants and flowers that are poisonous to cats Turns out lilies are on that list So I called the 24 hour animal clinic in town just to get their opinion I was still thinking they would tell me everything was ok since he had already thrown up the lily I got quite the opposite reaction from the vets They told me to bring him into the clinic immediately that lilies were the most lethal plant a cat could injest and even if he had thrown it up he could still

---

di and andy jpg

her life as wife and carer to husband Andy who is a home dialysis patient Andy is a patient at The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske How did you find out that Andy had renal problems Andy is 55 now but when he was in his late 20s he went for a routine health check up and protein was found in his urine and then after more tests degenerative kidney disease was diagnosed

---

PoisonControl gif

Screening renal function in patients exposed to recalled foods The Menu Foods pet foods acute renal failure situation has created a large demand for testing renal function in exposed or affected animals We created this document to provide a

---

smallwalletcardforweb jpg

Click here to learn more and sign up Take Charge of Your Kidney Health Click on the image at right to learn about tests for kidney function diabetes heart health and anemia Or click here to download free brochures Your Support Helps Kidney Patients

---

Drawing of the urinary tract in a male figure with labels for

The kidneys remove wastes and water from the blood to form urine Urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through the ureters The kidneys are bean shaped organs each about the size of a fist They are located near the middle of the back just below the rib cage one on each side of the spine The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines Every day a person s kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water The wastes and extra water become urine which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters The bladder stores urine until releasing it through urination What do the kidneys do Wastes in the blood come from the normal breakdown of active tissues such as muscles and from food The body uses food for energy and self repairs After the body has taken what it needs from food wastes are sent to the blood If the kidneys did not remove them these wastes would build up in the blood and damage the body

---

kidneylg jpg

Zoom

---

CUP with MULTIPANEL lrg jpg

---

U is for Diabetes365 day 214 June 10 2008

U is for U amp E or urea and electrolytes This is one of the many tests done each three months at my routine hospital check It measures kidney function and the balance of different electrolytes such as sodium and potassium in my body Some of the complications associated with diabetes can be treated much more easily and effectively if they are detected early so regular checks of this kind are important U is also for unit ulcer and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study UKPDS

---

shopping featherplucker jpg

tests to assess liver and kidney function hormone levels blood chemistry levels checked to make sure nutrients fall within the normal range or to check for infectious agents Some veterinarians think it is a mental condition and prescribe Prozac Certain internal or systemic disease conditions will produce skin irritation that results in plucking Liver disease is

---

transitions sm jpg

kidney Most healthy people have almost twice as much kidney function as they need However the decision to donate a kidney is a big decision regardless Potential Donor Tests Resource for download Transitions Your Journey

---

sticking around

Looks like Trijntje has no intention to leave us afterall It s been an extremely difficult week for us after Trijntje was diagnosed with <a target= blank href= http www flickr com photos mr moor 2594899314 >PKD< a> Polycystic Kidney Disease a week ago After several blood tests and an ultrasound after our vet consulted a kidney specialist she told us that her kidneys were in such a bad shape that she would probably not live very much longer We were devastated All this time Trijntje didn t look or act like she was terminally ill but we were told that this kind of illness could pop up out of nothing the kidney s can function a long time even when they are poorly but at some point they give up We were desperate and already discussing how we would approach her final days Finally out of despair we decided to see a different veterinarian for a second opinion This vet questioned the first blood results and suggested to do a new blood test and sent it to a laboratory for a a more precise examinaton We received the results yesterday Trijntje doesn t have PKD nor are her kidney s in bad shape there is nothing wrong with her All the values in her blood that were tested are within the safety limits These results fit her condition perfectly all this time I had difficulty to believe that she was so sick but we trusted our vet s opinion and expertise I don t have to tell you how happy we are that our girl is in the clear but we are left with an uncomfortable feeling of distrust towards our veterinarians capability The second veterinarian confronted our vet with these new results and she said that she has no explanation about why her tests were so different she admitted that the new results fit Trijntje s condition more accurately We have decided to change vets after this horrific expirience Trijntje is doing very well she might have been having trouble from a bacteria or virus afterall which responded to the antibiotics that she got to treat an eventual kidney infection I ve

---

Image2 jpg

device called a centrifuge This device separates the serum or liquid element from the cellular elements in the blood The various chemical elements in the blood are contained in the serum The biochemistry department can perform a diverse range of tests that give information on such important matters as kidney and liver function Again it is necessary for the doctor to specify

---