Anyone got experience of eGFR results?

[Poppet11]

It's a kidney thing and I wondered if anyone else on here has experience in that area?

[Secondchance]

eGFR should be over 60. If less, it needs monitored. It estimates kidney function.

[Poppet11 in reply to Secondchance]

Thank you. A clearer explanation than any I can find on the net!

Just to clear it up - on my lab results it says Min 1.7 (not me, the range) That'd be dead then? You can see why it was so hard to get anything treated in my neck of the woods, can't you!

[Leilanilea in reply to Poppet11]

That is a bit bizarre! Just an aside...I read that for a number of years UK guidelines have recommended that an eGFR be performed whenever a serum creatinine is ordered, in attempt to identify early stages of kidney disease. If you weren't sure why the test was done that might explain reason.

[Poppet11 in reply to Leilanilea]

My eGFR was normal, about 89. But I just glanced at the level and thought...hang on, have I been getting it back to front? Apparently not.

I don't know whether I'll ever trust a blood test ever again - I just think there are so many variables and influencing factors.

There can be no doubt I was suffering severe neurological damage from my b12 deficiency (it was on record but not acted on) Yet nothing else was showing up. I went on another year to the point where my arms and legs were on the point of useless. I still believe to this day that it was only my tenacity and determination to improve the capacity of the muscles that were still working that enabled me to function as I do. Because I have now clear atrophy in some areas.

Blood tests now, to me, well...I just don't think they are good indicators of physical problems.

[helvella in reply to Poppet11]

Have a look here:

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

The bottom end of that range is probably the lowest level the test can measure with an acceptable degree of accuracy - and is most definitely not an OK number. That link actually says that if the number is less than 15: "Refer for specialist assessment".

Rod

[Hidden]

Hi Poppet11,

It stands for estimated glomerular filtration rate. Basically it's a measure of how well the kidney's are working and the rate at which they are able to " filter " your urine. Anything over 59 is classed as " normal ". If there was a problem with the eGFR then the Urea and Creatinine would be raised as well.

Hope that helps.

[engels]

patient.co.uk/health/estima...

[Poppet11]

Well, I thought I understood it and then I read that min 1.7 and I thought, well I don't understand it - surely it's not got to get that low??????

Apparently not. Anything under 15 is kidney failure...

[Hidden]

It may be an anomaly as I have never seen the reference range for eGFR reported as anything other than < 59.

There are so many different types of kidney failure and problems that it is very complex, your kidney's can be failing long before the eGFR falls to 15. Also eGFR would never be looked at on it's own, it has to be looked at in the context of the U&E's as a whole and the trend of results.

[Poppet11 in reply to Hidden]

It does seem a bizarre 'range.' It threw me completely.

[Leilanilea in reply to Hidden]

You might be interested in this guideline update re kidney disease: NICE guidelines [CG182] Published date: July 2014

Chronic kidney disease: early identification and management of chronic kidney disease in adults in primary and secondary care

nice.org.uk/guidance/CG182/...

[Poppet11 in reply to Leilanilea]

According to my tests I haven't got a kidney problem, but I do keep an eye on it. Only because I once went for an ultrasound scan and they had a right old time finding one of my kidneys! It got to be quite funny. The women found the first one and then went looking for the other - no joy. You know when the anxiety starts to show though and you could see it was developing into a bit of a panic. They were rolling me about all over the place. Anyway, they found it. By scanning my back somewhere up near my left shoulder blade. Relief all round!