Kidney Function Test
Kidney Function Test
Kidney Function Test
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Clearance tests
Test for glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
Useful index for the assessment of severity of
kidney damage
Definition: ‘Clearance is defined as the quantity
of blood or plasma that is completely cleared of
a substance per unit time’
Alternatively ml of plasma which contains
the amount of that substance excreted by
kidney within a minute
Units: ml/min
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Clearance tests
Types of Clearance tests
Endogenous Exogenous
Creatinine Inulin
Urea Para-amino hippuric acid (PAHA)
Uric acid Diodrast (di-iodo pyridone acetic acid)
Calculation: U X V
P
Where:
U = concentration of substance in urine (mg/dl)
V = volume of urine excreted per minute (ml/min)
P = concentration of substance in plasma/serum (mg/dl)
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Clearance tests
Creatinine clearance:
- Otto Folin: estimated it in 1904
- formation of creatinine is continuous, spontaneous
and non-enzymatic
- dependent on muscle mass of the body
- Reference range: 85 to 125 ml/min
Inulin clearance:
- polysaccharide of fructose
- neither absorbed nor secreted by tubules
- Reference value: 125ml/min
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Urine Analysis – Physical Characteristics
Volume
Normal Range Conditions increased Conditions decreased
1000 – 1800 ml/day Diuretic therapy Excess sweating
Diabetes insipidus Dehydration
Diabetes mellitus Acute renal failure
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Urine analysis – Chemical Characteristics
Abnormal Name of the Associated Clinical Characteristics
Constituent Test Conditions
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NPN Substances measurement
Major route of excretion Urine
levels is seen in kidney dysfunction
Blood Urea
End product of protein metabolism
Methods: DAM, Berthalot, Urease-GLDH
Serum Uric acid
End product of purine metabolism
Methods: Caraway, Uricase
Serum Creatinine
Anhydride form of creatine formed in muscles
Method: Jaffe’s kinetic
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Serum Electrolytes
Segment of Nephron Substance Substance secreted
reabsorbed
Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT) Sodium H+
Chloride Organic acids and
Bicarbonate bases
Water (Obligatory) NH4+
Loop of Henle Sodium ---
Chloride
Calcium
Magnesium
Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT) Sodium H+
Chloride K+
Water (Facultative) NH4+
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Tests for renal tubular function
Dilution tests…
Normal response: Almost all water load is
excreted by 4 hours
- One of the 4 samples shows specific gravity
falling to 1.003 and osmolality to 50
milliosmol/kg
Advantage:
- More sensitive test
- Feasible
- Less harmful than concentration test
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Tests for renal tubular function
Urinary acidification
Syn: Acid load test
0.1 g/Kg body weight of ammonium chloride is
given as enteric coated preparation
Fate of ammonium chloride:
NH4Cl NH4+ + Cl-
NH4+ converted to urea by liver
Cl- + H+ HCl excreted in urine to produce
acidification
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Tests for renal tubular function
Urinary acidification…
Urine is collected hourly – from 2 to 8 hours after
the ingestion
pH and acid excretion of each sample is noted
Normal response: At least one sample
- pH: 5.3
- ammonia excretion: 30 to 90 mmol/hour
Chronic renal failure: pH is low
Renal tubular acidosis: pH of 5.3 is not achieved
Contraindication: Liver disease
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Kidney Function Test - Summary
Measurement of GFR Clearance tests
Endogenous substance used for clearance Creatinine
tests
Exogenous substance used for clearance Inulin
testes
Volume, Appearance, Colour, Odour, Specific Physical Characteristics
gravity
Measurement of specific gravity Urinometer
Reducing substance, Ketone bodies, Proteins, Abnormal chemical
Blood, Bile salts and Bile pigments constituents
Early detection of Diabetic and hypertensive Microalbumin
nephropathy
Specific gravity, Concentration test, Urine Renal tubular function
volume, Osmolality, Dilution test,
Acidification 21