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Part of the assessment of kidney function includes the measurement of urine and its contents. Abnormal kidney function may cause too much or too little urine to be produced. The ability of the kidneys to filter protein is often measured, as urine albumin or urine protein levels, [2] measured either at a single instance or, because of variation ...
This illustration demonstrates the normal kidney physiology, including the Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT), Loop of Henle, and Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT). It also includes illustrations showing where some types of diuretics act, and what they do. Renal physiology (Latin renes, "kidneys") is the study of the physiology of the kidney.
Renal professionals consider the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to be the best overall index of kidney function. [33] The National Kidney Foundation offers an easy to use on-line GFR calculator [34] for anyone who is interested in knowing their glomerular filtration rate. (A serum creatinine level, a simple blood test, is needed to use the ...
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.
A sodium-related parameter is fractional sodium excretion, which is the percentage of the sodium filtered by the kidney which is excreted in the urine. It is a useful parameter in acute kidney failure and oliguria , with a value below 1% indicating a prerenal disease and a value above 1% suggesting acute tubular necrosis or other kidney damage.
A better estimate of kidney function is given by calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). eGFR can be calculated without a 24-hour urine collection, using serum creatinine concentration and some or all of the following variables: sex, age, and weight, as suggested by the American Diabetes Association. [19]
Isosthenuria reflects damage to the kidney's tubules or the renal medulla. A closely related term is hyposthenuria, where the urine has a relatively low specific gravity "due to inability of the kidney to concentrate the urine normally". [2] [3] This specific gravity is not necessarily equal to that of plasma.
Renal compensation is a mechanism by which the kidneys can regulate the plasma pH. It is slower than respiratory compensation, but has a greater ability to restore normal values. Kidneys maintain the acid-base balance through two mechanisms: (1) the secretion of H + ions into the urine (from the blood) and (2) the reabsorption of bicarbonate ...