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How is CKD diagnosed?

Doctors use several tests to diagnose chronic kidney disease (CKD).These include:

blood tests that look at how your kidneys are working (kidney function)
urine tests that measure how much protein is in your urine, which can be a sign of CKD
renal ultrasound, which is a scan that shows the size, shape and structure of your kidneys
renal biopsy, which means taking a sample of your kidney tissue to find the cause of CKD and see how much damage there is. Not everyone needs this test.

A test that measures the level of creatinine in your blood can show how well your kidneys are working.

Creatinine is a waste product your muscles make, which your kidneys then filter out of your blood. It then leaves your body in your urine.

If you have kidney failure, it means your kidneys aren't working properly and don't filter your blood well. As a result, the amount of creatinine in your blood rises. So measuring your blood creatinine level is a good way to show how well your kidneys are working.

Stages of CKD

Another, more accurate measurement of kidney function is called the eGFR (which stands for estimated glomerular filtration rate). This looks at your blood creatinine level, age, and sex to measure how much blood your kidneys are filtering. The measurement used is mls/min, but it can help to think of it as a percentage of normal kidney function. There are five stages of CKD, with stage 1 being the mildest, and stage 5 being the most severe.

Stages of chronic kidney disease

Stage	Amount of damage	eGFR (mls/min)
1	Slight kidney damage	More than 90
2	Mild drop in kidney function	60 to 89
3	Moderate drop in kidney function	30 to 59
4	Severe drop in kidney function	15 to 29
5	Very severe, or end-stage kidney failure	Less than 15

On the next page: How is chronic kidney disease treated?

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by clinical director, Nephrology Department, Canterbury DHB. Page created August 2016.

Sources

Page reference: 202942

Review key: HICKD-117713