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It gives a percentage of red blood cells found in whole blood. Hematocrit (Hct) is a blood test that measures the number and the size of red blood cells. Blood Tests to Check for Anemia Hematocrit The color of the dipstick indicates the presence or absence of proteinuria. Your doctor may test for protein using a dipstick in a small sample of your urine taken in the doctor’s office.
Greater than 300 mg/L is called macroalbuminuriaĪs kidney function worsens, the amount of albumin and other proteins in the urine often increases, and the condition is called proteinuria. Greater than 30 mg/L but less than 300 mg/L is called microalbuminuria. This condition is known as microalbuminuria. At first, only a small amount of protein that is too low to be measured with a standard dipstick may leak into the urine. Impaired kidneys may fail to separate a blood protein called albumin from the wastes. Healthy kidneys take wastes out of the blood but leave protein. A GFR below 15 ml/min indicates that a treatment for kidney failure, such as dialysis or transplant will be needed. A GFR below 60ml/min is a sign that kidneys are not working properly. The normal value for GFR is 90 ml/min or above. The blood creatinine level is factored in with your age, gender, height, race, and weight to calculate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A sample of your blood is sent to the lab. GFR is a measurement of how well the kidneys are processing wastes. The normal creatinine clearance is greater than 90 ml/min. The lab measures the amount of creatinine in the urine. To calculate a creatinine clearance you may be asked to save your urine for 24 hours and bring it to the lab. It gives an accurate measure of the ability of your kidneys to remove the creatinine from your body. Creatinine ClearanceĬreatinine clearance is a measure of how much creatinine is in your urine. A creatinine level of greater than 1.2 for women and greater than 1.4 for men may be an early sign that the kidneys are not working properly. As a result, creatinine is an indirect marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), or how well the kidneys work. If the kidneys lose their ability to filter blood (GFR decreases), more creatinine will accumulate and serum creatinine will rise. When the kidneys are not working well, creatinine builds up in the blood. Healthy kidneys take creatinine out of the blood and remove it from the body through the urine. Serum CreatinineĬreatinine is a waste product in the blood created by the normal metabolism of muscle cells. Other possible causes of an elevated BUN include dehydration and heart failure. GRAVITY LAB LEVEL 9 FULL
If your BUN is more than 20 mg/dL, your kidneys may not be working at full strength. Normal blood contains 7-20 mg/dl of urea. If your kidneys are not working well, the urea nitrogen will stay in the blood.
Healthy kidneys take urea nitrogen out of the blood and remove it through the urine. After the cells use the protein, the remaining waste product is returned to the blood as urea nitrogen. Blood Urea Nitrogen (also called BUN)īlood carries protein to cells throughout the body. Note that there can be some differences in these values from one lab to another, so make sure you learn the normal values for your lab. The test results will be used to assist the healthcare team (your doctor, nurses, and others) in evaluating your kidney function and determining the best care plan for you.Remember, you are in control and you are your own best healthcare advocate, so it is essential for you to understand what these tests mean. Lab work, urine samples, and other tests may be completed as you undergo diagnosis and treatment for renal failure. Common Tests to Help Diagnose Kidney Disease