Glomerular Filtration Rate (Gfr) Blood Serum
What is this test?
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) test is used to check the functioning of your kidneys. Glomerular filtration rate is the speed at which blood is filtered per minute.
What are Kidneys?
Kidneys are the main filtration system of the body. They efficiently filter blood and remove waste products from it and excrete them through urine and prevents the loss of proteins and blood cells. Each kidney consists of several glomeruli. Glomeruli are the tiny filters present inside the kidney. If there is an impairment in kidney functioning it means the glomeruli has failed to filter efficiently. In glomerular filtration rate, the amount of blood passing through the glomeruli per minute is estimated thus calculating the functioning of kidneys.
Why this test is performed?
This test may be recommended to you if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney stones, frequent urinary tract infections, kidney failure, polycystic kidney disease or if you experience certain symptoms like difficulty in urinating, foamy urine, blood in urine, mid-back pain, unexplained swelling of the body, puffiness around your eyes, etc. This test may also be recommended if you take any medicines that might affect the kidney function or if you have a family history of kidney diseases.
Precautions:
Some medications may interfere with the test results like cimetidine, cisplatin, ibuprofen, trimethoprim, flucytosine, cephalosporin antibiotics like cephalexin, cefixime, ceftriaxone, etc, aminoglycosides like streptomycin, amikacin, gentamicin, neomycin, etc. Certain conditions also affect the test results such as below 18 years, severely malnourished, underweight or overweight, bodybuilder, eating a lot of meat, eating low-meat diet or a vegetarian diet, change in kidney functions, pregnancy, neuromuscular disorder, a muscle-wasting disease. Hence inform your doctor or technician about all your current medications and medical conditions prior to the test.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Glomerular Filtration Rate (Gfr) Blood Serum. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Glomerular Filtration Rate (Gfr) Blood Serum.
No specific preparation is required for glomerular filtration rate test.
Understanding your test results
The normal test results may vary depending on race, gender, age, health history, height, weight, muscle mass, etc. Older people will have lower levels of glomerular filtration rate.
If glomerular filtration rate test results are slightly less than the normal range it may indicate no damage to the kidney, lower than normal range may indicate mild damage to kidney, if the results are very less than the normal range it may indicate severe loss of kidney function and if the results are extremely lower than the normal range then it may indicate kidney failure.
If you get abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor may recommend other tests depending on your results.
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