Summary Renal Function Tests

Renal Function Tests
AKI vs CKD




 AKI:
o A sudden episode of kidney failure or damage
o Happens within a few hours or days.
 CKD
o Long term condition
o Gradual decline in kidney function
o Over a period of time

Age-related changes
 As you get older, your kidney function declines.
 The decline in GFR 6ml/min every 10 years
 Hardening of the blood vessels
 Decreased number of nephrons
 Hypertension is more common in older people, leading to CKD.
 Older patients are on medications that may affect kidney function.
 Other diseases e.g., cardiac associated or diabetes.

Creatinine




 Approx. 59-104micromol/L normal
 When we breakdown muscle creatine is produced
 Converted to creatinine.
 Cleared by the kidney.
 Creatinine is a toxic waste product.
 So, this value is usually constant in healthy individuals.
 But may change depending on how well the kidney can clear the creatinine.
 We use serum creatinine to work out eGFR.
 AKI: rise in serum creatinine of 26micromol/L in 48 hours.
o Decreased GFR
o Inability to remove waste products from the blood.
o So, more creatinine remains in the serum (blood).