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One of the measures of kidney function is the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Other tests that can assess the function of the kidneys include assessment of electrolyte levels such as potassium and phosphate, assessment of acid-base status by the measurement of bicarbonate levels from a vein, and assessment of the full blood count for anaemia.
Effective renal plasma flow (eRPF) is a measure used in renal physiology [1] to calculate renal plasma flow (RPF) and hence estimate renal function.. Because the extraction ratio of PAH is high, it has become commonplace to estimate the RPF by dividing the amount of PAH in the urine by the plasma PAH level, ignoring the level in renal venous blood.
Renal plasma flow is the volume of plasma that reaches the kidneys per unit time. Renal plasma flow is given by the Fick principle: = This is essentially a conservation of mass equation which balances the renal inputs (the renal artery) and the renal outputs (the renal vein and ureter).
A simple means of estimating renal function is to measure pH, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and basic electrolytes (including sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate). As the kidney is the most important organ in controlling these values, any derangement in these values could suggest renal impairment.
The kidney has many functions, which a well-functioning kidney realizes by filtering blood in a process known as glomerular filtration. A major measure of kidney function is the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The glomerular filtration rate is the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney.
GFR on its own is the most common and important measure of renal function. However, in conditions such as renal artery stenosis, blood flow to the kidneys is reduced. Filtration fraction must therefore be increased in order to perform the normal functions of the kidney. Loop diuretics and thiazide diuretics decrease filtration fraction.
The fractional excretion of sodium (FE Na) is the percentage of the sodium filtered by the kidney which is excreted in the urine.It is measured in terms of plasma and urine sodium, rather than by the interpretation of urinary sodium concentration alone, as urinary sodium concentrations can vary with water reabsorption.
Extraction ratio is a measure in renal physiology, primarily used to calculate renal plasma flow in order to evaluate renal function. It measures the percentage of the compound entering the kidney that was excreted into the final urine. [1] Measured in concentration in blood plasma, it may thus be expressed as: