KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes)
Understanding KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes)
What is KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes)?
A KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test evaluates your kidney function, helps detect kidney disease, and monitors an ongoing treatment response for kidney or blood pressure problems. This test also measures the levels of electrolytes to check for the water and pH balance in the body.
The kidneys are vital in removing waste, toxins, and extra water from your body. They are responsible for maintaining a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals like chloride, sodium, and potassium. These minerals are also essential for blood pressure control, maintenance of the body’s pH balance, making red blood cell production hormones, and promoting bone health. Hence, keeping your kidneys healthy is essential for maintaining overall health.
A KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test helps with the early detection of kidney problems, such as kidney stones, kidney failure, or kidney infections. This early detection allows your doctor to plan the treatment timely and prevent future complications. This test also helps monitor any known kidney problems, track the recovery process if you are already getting treated for the same, and determine if you need dose adjustments of certain medicines you might be taking for other diseases. Your doctor may advise KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test if you experience symptoms suggestive of kidney problems, such as frequent urination, bloody urine, muscle cramps, or sharp pain in your groin, or if you have kidney disease risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, or a family history of kidney disease.
Usually, no special preparation is required for a KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test; eat and drink as per your daily routine. Test result ranges are approximate and may differ slightly between labs depending on the methodology and laboratory guidelines. Talk to your doctor about your specific test results. Narrate your complete medical history to help them correlate your clinical and laboratory findings. The test results will help the doctor determine your medical condition, make recommendations for lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, decide whether or not medication will be required to manage your kidney health and formulate your overall treatment plan.
What is KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) used for?
A KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test is done:
- As part of routine health checkups.
- To help detect any disease affecting the kidneys.
- To monitor the treatment response of kidney diseases.
- To check your body's water, electrolyte, and acid-base (pH) balance.
- To monitor patients who are receiving diuretic therapy, intravenous fluids, or are on dialysis.
- To monitor kidney function in people with diabetes and high blood pressure (BP).
What does KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) measure?
Contains 6 testsA KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Function Test with Electrolytes) test determines the health of your kidneys. It evaluates parameters such as creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride). This test also helps diagnose possible kidney disorders like inflammation, infection, or functional damage.
Serum Creatinine
A Serum Creatinine test measures the level of creatinine in the blood. Creatinine is a byproduct of muscles’ wear and tear during energy production. The kidneys remove it from the body by filtering it from the blood and releasing it into the urine. Therefore, blood creatinine levels indicate how well the kidneys are functioning in filtering and removing waste products from the blood. Generally, higher creatinine levels in the blood may indicate reduced kidney function, while lower levels may suggest decreased muscle mass.
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Uric Acid
A Uric Acid test determines the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a nitrogenous compound produced by the metabolic breakdown of purine. Purines are present as nitrogenous bases in the DNA and are also found in food like red meat and seafood.
Most uric acid dissolves in the blood and goes into your kidneys. From there, it passes through your body via the urine. Decreased elimination of uric acid is often a result of impaired kidney function due to kidney disease. In many cases, the exact cause of excess uric acid is unknown. Doctors seldom need to test for low levels of uric acid.
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Blood Urea Nitrogen
A Blood Urea Nitrogen test measures the levels of urea nitrogen in the blood. Blood urea is a waste product that is formed in the liver when you eat food and the protein is metabolized into amino acids. This process leads to the production of ammonia that is further converted into urea. Both ammonia and urea are nitrogenous compounds. Your liver releases urea into the blood which is then carried out to the kidneys. In the kidneys, urea is filtered from the blood and flushed out of the body via urine. This is a continuous process, so a small amount of urea nitrogen always remains in the blood.
In the case of a kidney or liver disease, there is a change in the amount of urea present in the blood. If your liver produces urea in an increased amount or if there is any problem in kidney functioning, there might be difficulty in filtering out the waste products from the blood, which can result in increased urea levels in the blood.
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Serum Electrolytes
A Serum Electrolytes test measures three important electrolytes in the body: sodium, potassium, and chloride. Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that move fluid in and out of the cells. They transport the nutrients into the cells and flush out the waste products. They also help maintain water balance and pH levels by keeping the acids and bases in your blood balanced. Hence, the body must maintain an optimal balance of fluids and electrolytes for proper functioning.
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This further contains
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Sodium