Detection This is about finding out if you have kidney failure or you are at risk for developing kidney failure and it is done by medical personnel. Usually the following steps would be followed:
    1. Your doctor will check your symptoms and medical history.
    2. Blood and urine tests would be done. It could either be
      1. A screening test consisting of urinalysis to check for protein, albumin or blood.
      2. Detection This is about finding out if you have kidney failure or you are at risk for developing kidney failure and it is done by medical personnel. Usually the following steps would be followed:
Test What it Means Normal Levels
Serum Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product that is made when your body breaks down protein you eat and when muscles are injured. A high serum (blood) creatinine level means kidney damage. Creatinine levels may vary somewhat, even when the kidneys work normally. So, your doctor should check your level more than once before diagnosing CKD (Chronic kidney Disease). Measuring creatinine is only the first step to finding your level of kidney function.
The normal serum creatinine range for men is 0.5-1.5 mg/dL. The normal range for women is 0.6-1.2 mg/dL.
Creatinine Clearance
Creatinine clearance is a test sometimes used to estimate filtering capacity of the kidneys. The amount of creatinine in your urine is compared to the amount of creatinine in your blood. Your doctor may test your urine by asking you to collect your urine for 24 hours in a special container.
Normal creatinine clearance for healthy men is 97-137 mL/min. Normal creatinine clearance for healthy women is 88-128 mL/min
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
GFR is a more accurate way to measure how well your kidneys filter wastes from your blood. Your GFR gives your doctor an idea of the speed at which your kidneys are failing, and whether you are at risk for complications of kidney disease. GFR can be estimated from serum creatinine, using a formula.
Healthy adults have a GFR of about 140*; normal is greater than 90. Children and the elderly usually have lower GFR levels. A GFR less than 15 is kidney failure. *GFR is reported in mL/min/1.73 m2.
Urine Albumin
Inside healthy kidneys, tiny filtering units called nephrons filter out wastes but keep in large molecules, like red blood cells and albumin (protein). Some kidney diseases damage these filters so albumin and other proteins can leak into the urine. Protein—albumin—in the urine can be a sign of kidney disease. Albumin can be measured with a urine dipstick or a 24-hour urine collection to find out how much protein is "spilling" into the urine. Albumin levels can increase with heavy exercise, poor blood sugar control, urinary tract infections, and other illnesses.
In a 24-hour urine sample, a normal level is less than 30 mg/day.
Microalbuminuria
Microscopic amounts of protein too small to be measured with a standard dipstick test can be an early sign of kidney disease—especially in people with diabetes. Special dipsticks or laboratory tests can find microalbuminuria. The American Diabetes Association guidelines recommend that anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a test for microalbuminuria at least yearly.
Urine in healthy people contains less than 150 mg/L of albumin.
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) is another measure of wastes (urea) in the blood. Urea is produced from the breakdown of protein already in the body and protein in your diet. A high BUN usually means that kidney function is less than normal, but other factors may affect the BUN level. Bleeding in the intestines, congestive heart failure, and certain medications may make the BUN higher than normal. As BUN rises, symptoms of kidney disease may appear, such as a bad taste in the mouth, poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. In dialysis, BUN is used to measure whether a person is receiving the correct amount of dialysis. Sometimes a low BUN may also mean that you are not eating enough protein
The normal BUN level for healthy individuals is 7-20 mg/dL in adults, and 5-18 mg/dL in children. Patients on dialysis have higher BUN levels, usually 40-60 mg/dL. The nephrologist (kidney doctor) and dietitian will help determine whether the BUN is in the correct range
  1. If these tests aren't definite, your doctor may need to do an ultrasound scan to see how the kidney looks
  2. A biopsy of the kidney may need to be taken. A biopsy is where a tiny piece of the kidney is removed and examined under a microscope
Early detection can save lives!Early detection of kidney disease can be life saving. Medication and changes to lifestyle, along with an early referral to a kidney specialist, can prevent or delay kidney failure. If you are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease, talk to your doctor about having a regular kidney health check. This includes:
  1. Blood pressure check
  2. Blood test for kidney function
  3. Urine test for protein
Treatment Options!Initially, the decrease in the ability of the kidney to regulate the body chemistry requires only medications and changes in the diet but treatment helps to prolong the life of the kidneys. When the kidney failure becomes severe (usually less than 10 to 15% of the normal kidney functions), it is called end-stage-renal disease (ESRD) and treatments that replace the work of healthy kidneys must be started.Once the kidneys have now stopped working, the goal is to find treatments that can replace kidney function. There are two main options for this:
  1. Dialysis
  2. Dialysis Transplantation