You may need to fast not eat or drink or avoid certain foods for several hours before the test. Your health care provider will let you know if there are any special instructions to follow. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
A GFR of 60 or higher is in the normal range. A GFR below 60 may mean kidney disease. A GFR of 15 or lower may mean kidney failure. In adults, the normal eGFR number is more than A GFR can be measured directly, but it is a complicated test, requiring specialized providers. To get an estimate, your provider will use a method known as a GFR calculator.
A GFR calculator is a type of mathematical formula that estimates the rate of filtration. It does this by comparing the results of a blood test that measures creatinine, a waste product filtered by the kidneys, with other information about you.
This information includes some or all of the following:. A GFR test is used to help diagnose kidney disease at an early stage, when it is most treatable. GFR may also be used to monitor people with chronic kidney disease CKD or other conditions that cause kidney damage. These include diabetes and high blood pressure. But you may need a GFR test if you are at higher risk of getting kidney disease. Risk factors include:. Later stage kidney disease does cause symptoms.
So you may need a GFR test if you have any of the following symptoms:. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle.
After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes. The test measures the amount of creatinine in your blood and, using a formula, mathematically derives a number that estimates how well your kidneys are functioning. The formula uses your creatinine levels, age, sex, weight, and race to arrive at that number—your eGFR.
Your healthcare provider will order an eGFR test if he suspects you have chronic kidney disease. So, if you complain about having symptoms of kidney disease, your practitioner may order you to take an eGFR test. These symptoms include:. Early-stage kidney disease doesn't normally have any symptoms. Because of this, if you have any preexisting conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease—all of which tend to affect your kidneys—your healthcare provider will likely order this test for you at regular intervals.
A family history of kidney disease could also necessitate this test. The main function of your kidneys is to clean your blood. The glomeruli, tiny filters found in your kidneys, are central to this job. So, your eGFR rate is actually how much blood these glomeruli filter per minute, and it works by measuring the levels of creatinine in your blood. Creatinine is one of the types of waste that the kidneys help to filter out of the body. Therefore, if a high level of creatinine is found in your blood, it might signal that your kidneys the glomeruli, in particular aren't doing a good job of filtering and cleaning out your blood.
The eGFR test is not percent accurate and it can only give an estimate of your filtration rate. Additionally, the standard formula for calculating eGFR is not valid for people under the age of An eGFR test is usually ordered alongside a urine test for albumin to diagnose kidney disease.
In the same vein, just as eGFR tests are used to monitor kidney disease, urine tests for albumin are generally used concurrently for the same purpose. However, damaged ones do.
Albumin in the urine is called albuminuria. A urinalysis may also be ordered to enable the healthcare provider to check for any signs of kidney damage in your urine. There are generally no risks or contraindications associated with eGFR testing. You can expect to discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider, as well as your family history of kidney disease if any. You should disclose all medications you are taking to your practitioner. This is because certain drugs can interfere with eGFR results because they increase your creatinine levels.
Some of these drugs are cisplatin and gentamicin. You should expect to discuss your medical history and if you have conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, you should disclose that too. Disclose if you are pregnant or if there's any chance you may be, as this can affect the test results. Because the test takes the form of a blood test, it will just take a few minutes.
The test will take place in the hospital. You can dress however you want for this test. However, keeping in mind that the blood will be drawn from your arm, it may be better for you to wear sleeveless clothes or clothes with which uncovering your arm will be easy.
Your healthcare provider may or may not instruct you to not eat anything on the day of the test or to avoid certain foods. He may also instruct you to stop taking certain medications.
A needle will be inserted into the skin on your arm and your blood will be drawn.
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