Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsLabs and TestsSelf-ChecksExamsImagingOther ConditionsTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs and Symptoms
Labs and Tests
Self-Checks
Exams
Imaging
Other Conditions
Treatment
When to See a Provider
If you haveacute renal failureor are living withchronic kidney disease, your provider may need to do renal failure tests to check on your health.Kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease, means your kidneys are not functioning well enough for you to survive without treatment like atransplantordialysis.
Renal failure tests can include blood and urine tests to measure how well yourkidneysare filtering out waste and to check for proteins likealbumin. You may also need imaging tests or a kidney biopsy to rule out other illnesses or find an underlying cause for kidney failure.
This article will cover renal failure tests, including what to expect if you need to have them done.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease?
Acute and chronic kidney disease can cause signs and symptoms that signal there is a problem with your kidney function. Signs of acute kidney failure include:
Sometimes, a person with acute kidney failure (also called acute kidney injury) does not have any symptoms and they only find out their kidneys are not working when they have medical tests done.
Phases of Acute Renal Failure
The three categories of acute renal failure are:
Signs of chronic kidney disease include:
Your provider will probably want to do some labs and tests to check your kidney function and test you for renal failure.
Blood Tests
You may give a sample of your blood to be checked in a lab. One blood test is theglomerularfiltration rate(GFR), which measures whether the kidneys are filtering at a normal rate.
Your provider might also want to test your blood to see how much creatinine there is in it. Creatinine is a waste substance your kidneys usually help clear from your body. If your kidneys are not working well, you may have more creatinine in your blood than normal.
Understanding the Glomerular Filtration RateGFR of 60 or more is normal.GFR of less than 60 may mean kidney disease.GFR of 15 or less signifies kidney failure and may indicate the need for dialysis or a transplant.
Understanding the Glomerular Filtration Rate
GFR of 60 or more is normal.GFR of less than 60 may mean kidney disease.GFR of 15 or less signifies kidney failure and may indicate the need for dialysis or a transplant.
Urine Tests
You may need to give a urine sample to have it checked in a lab for the following:
Biopsy
Sometimes, a kidney biopsy is necessary if the provider needs more information either about a suspected disease process or how quickly the kidney damage or failure is progressing.
New Tests for Renal FailureResearchers are trying to come up with easier, less-invasive renal failure tests. One of them uses a cotton thread-based colorimetric sensor that measures levels of blood sugar (glucose) and urea from a person’s sweat. The sensor can tell the difference between normal and abnormal readings.Someday, it could be a useful tool in helping people measure and monitor their blood sugar and/or urea levels in an easy way.
New Tests for Renal Failure
Researchers are trying to come up with easier, less-invasive renal failure tests. One of them uses a cotton thread-based colorimetric sensor that measures levels of blood sugar (glucose) and urea from a person’s sweat. The sensor can tell the difference between normal and abnormal readings.Someday, it could be a useful tool in helping people measure and monitor their blood sugar and/or urea levels in an easy way.
Researchers are trying to come up with easier, less-invasive renal failure tests. One of them uses a cotton thread-based colorimetric sensor that measures levels of blood sugar (glucose) and urea from a person’s sweat. The sensor can tell the difference between normal and abnormal readings.
Someday, it could be a useful tool in helping people measure and monitor their blood sugar and/or urea levels in an easy way.
Self-Checks/At-Home Testing
Right now, there are no self-checks for renal failure. It’s important that you know the signs andsymptomsof kidney disease and see your provider if you think there could be something wrong with your kidneys.
There are at-home tests to check for kidney function, but these tests shouldnotbe used to check for kidney failure. These tests are often recommended in the early stages of kidney disease for people who have trouble leaving home or do not have medical insurance.
From Diet to Dialysis: Treating Chronic Kidney Disease
Physical Examination
The symptoms of kidney disease andkidney failurecan be vague or seem like they could be related to a different health condition, especially in the early stages.
To start, your provider will want to do a physical exam to get a sense of your overall health. A chest and abdominal exam can help your provider see if there is swelling of your abdomen or fluid in your lungs. Gently striking of the back that causes pain can indicate a urinary tract obstruction.
An exam of your skin can show:
While they’re doing a physical exam, a provider can also talk to you and see how you’re feeling. This can be helpful because people with acute renal failure may have slurred speech, be confused or drowsy, or have trouble paying attention.
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Imaging Tests
Imaging tests can help your provider get a closer look at your kidneys. There are a few imaging tests they might want to do:
How to Cope and Live Well With Chronic Kidney Disease
Differential Diagnosis
There are other conditions that can cause the signs and symptoms of kidney failure. Your provider will want to make sure that you do not have any of these conditions before diagnosing you with renal failure:
Your provider will rule these causes out to ensure a correct diagnosis is made.
The 3 Most Common Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease
How Is Kidney Disease Treated?
If your provider tells you that you have kidney disease, the treatment will depend on what’s causing your kidneys to fail and how serious the condition is.
For example, if you have acute kidney failure, you may need to be in the hospital to get fluids in an IV, medications to help get rid of the extra fluids, and other treatments that help your body do important jobs like clearing toxins from your body while your kidneys need a rest (hemodialysis).
You may get better after acute kidney failure if it is treated and the underlying cause is taken care of—for example, an injury to the organ heals or you stop taking a medication that damaged your kidneys.
If you have chronic kidney disease, you’ll need to learn how to live with the condition and prevent complications. Your provider will talk to you about taking steps like changing your diet and starting medications that will help prevent your kidneys from being under too much stress and that can help manage your overall health.
For example, you may need to take medications to lower your blood pressure and may need to change your diet so you’re eating less protein (which can be hard on your kidneys). If your condition is severe, you may need to have treatment like dialysis that does your kidney’s work for them. At some point, you may need to have a kidney transplant.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
You should call your provider if you’re having symptoms that are concerning to you. For example, you notice that you’re peeing a lot more often or a lot less than usual, or you have swelling in your feet or hands.
Sometimes, people only learn they have kidney disease when they’re having medical tests for something else. If your provider thinks your symptoms could be related to your kidneys, they’ll do tests to check them.
Summary
Renal failure tests can be used to check you for acute or chronic kidney disease. If you have signs or symptoms of kidney failure, your provider may check your blood and urine as well as do imaging tests to see how your kidneys are working.
The treatment you need will be based on what the renal failure tests say and what diagnosis your provider gives you.
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12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Kidney Fund.Kidney failure (ESRD) causes, symptoms, & treatments.National Kidney Foundation.Acute kidney injury (AKI).Mercado MG, Smith DK, Guard EL.Acute kidney injury: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2019;100(11):687-694. PMID: 31790176.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Chronic kidney disease tests and diagnosis.American Kidney Fund.Serum creatinine test.Mount Sinai.Creatinine urine test.NIDDKD.Albuminuria.American Kidney Fund.Kidney biopsy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney biopsy.Promphet N, Hinestroza JP, Rattanawaleedirojn P, et al.Cotton thread-based wearable sensor for non-invasive simultaneous diagnosis of diabetes and kidney failure.Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2020;321. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.128549Merck Manual.Evaluation of the renal patient.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Kidney ultrasounds.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Kidney Fund.Kidney failure (ESRD) causes, symptoms, & treatments.National Kidney Foundation.Acute kidney injury (AKI).Mercado MG, Smith DK, Guard EL.Acute kidney injury: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2019;100(11):687-694. PMID: 31790176.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Chronic kidney disease tests and diagnosis.American Kidney Fund.Serum creatinine test.Mount Sinai.Creatinine urine test.NIDDKD.Albuminuria.American Kidney Fund.Kidney biopsy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney biopsy.Promphet N, Hinestroza JP, Rattanawaleedirojn P, et al.Cotton thread-based wearable sensor for non-invasive simultaneous diagnosis of diabetes and kidney failure.Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2020;321. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.128549Merck Manual.Evaluation of the renal patient.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Kidney ultrasounds.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Kidney Fund.Kidney failure (ESRD) causes, symptoms, & treatments.National Kidney Foundation.Acute kidney injury (AKI).Mercado MG, Smith DK, Guard EL.Acute kidney injury: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2019;100(11):687-694. PMID: 31790176.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Chronic kidney disease tests and diagnosis.American Kidney Fund.Serum creatinine test.Mount Sinai.Creatinine urine test.NIDDKD.Albuminuria.American Kidney Fund.Kidney biopsy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney biopsy.Promphet N, Hinestroza JP, Rattanawaleedirojn P, et al.Cotton thread-based wearable sensor for non-invasive simultaneous diagnosis of diabetes and kidney failure.Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2020;321. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.128549Merck Manual.Evaluation of the renal patient.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Kidney ultrasounds.
American Kidney Fund.Kidney failure (ESRD) causes, symptoms, & treatments.
National Kidney Foundation.Acute kidney injury (AKI).
Mercado MG, Smith DK, Guard EL.Acute kidney injury: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2019;100(11):687-694. PMID: 31790176.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Chronic kidney disease tests and diagnosis.
American Kidney Fund.Serum creatinine test.
Mount Sinai.Creatinine urine test.
NIDDKD.Albuminuria.
American Kidney Fund.Kidney biopsy.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney biopsy.
Promphet N, Hinestroza JP, Rattanawaleedirojn P, et al.Cotton thread-based wearable sensor for non-invasive simultaneous diagnosis of diabetes and kidney failure.Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2020;321. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.128549
Merck Manual.Evaluation of the renal patient.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Kidney ultrasounds.
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