There are a number of tests involved in diagnosing kidney failure:
- Blood tests are used to find out how much of the waste substances are being filtered out;
- Urine is tested to see if it contains blood, protein, glucose, ketones, bilirubin, bacteria crystals and casts. Urinanalysis is important in detecting
early kidney disease. The American National Kidney Foundation states that this type of
urinalysis "should be part of routine physical examinations for everyone";
- Scans are taken using either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerised tomography (CT) or ultrasound to see if any unusual blockages
can be identified. When kidney disease is advanced, the kidneys are shrunken and have an uneven shape;
- A kidney biopsy which involves taking a tissue sample from the kidney in order to examine it for damage. A kidney biopsy is useful in indicating a
specific disease process and whether it may respond to treatment. Biopsies are also used to find out why a kidney transplant may not be doing well
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the stages of chronic kidney disease.
The glomerular filtration rate is a measure of kidney function. It is arrived at by looking at blood creatinine test results, weight, body size,
age and gender. The rate itself is a measure of how many millilitres of wate products the kidneys can filter in a minute and is used to indicate how far
the disease has progresses. A healthy pair of kidneys should be able to filter more than 90ml per minute.
The phases of chronic kidney disease have been categorised into 5 distinct stages;
