Kidney functions 

*What's the meaning of function?

*What are kidney functions?

*What's kidney function analysis?

*What's the importance of kidney function analysis?

Many people are concerned about their health, they go to the doctor to do checkups to be assured about their health. One of the most important analyses is kidney functions, it makes us know about our kidney's health and it had so many semantics for other body functions.

* Firstly, What's the meaning of function:

Function means the action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution. Every part or organ in our body has its own functions that make our body healthy. our kidney has so many functions such as :

- Removing toxins and waste and extra fluids from your body

- Remove acids that are produced by cells of your body

- maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus.

*What's kidney function analysis?

There are so many tests: BUN, Urea, Creatinine, eGFR

* BUN: measures nitrogen 

*eGFR: Estimated GFR  calculates filtration rates on your kidneys related to protein levels, age, gender, size, and race.

*Serum creatinine: a waste product from muscle tissue breakdown.

Creatinine is synthesized by the kidney, liver, and pancreas

"Normal range:

Newborn ( 1-4 days ): 0.3- 1.0 mg/dl

Infant: 0.2-0.4 mg/dl

Children: 0.3-0.7

Adolescent: 0.5-1.0

Adult male: 0.9-1.3

Adult female: 0.6-1.1

*Urea: Measuring creatinine is better than Urea as an indicator of kidney functions

*Plasma urea concentration is increased alone  (pre-renal) caused by :

- high protein diet

- increased protein catabolism

- gastrointestinal hemorrhage after the reabsorption of blood proteins

- dehydration

- decreased renal perfusion ( heart failure )

*Post-renal causes :

- malignancy

- prostatism

- nephrolithiasis

"Normal range:

Newborn: 4-12 mg/dl

Infant/child: 5-18 mg/dl

Adult: 6-20 mg/dl

>60 years : 8-23 mg/dl

*What's the importance of kidney function analysis?

Kidney functions tests measure how efficiently your kidneys are working. Most of these tests check how well your kidneys clear waste from your system. A kidney test may involve a blood test, a 24-hour urine sample or both

Wish you all good health and a healthy lifestyle 

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