Extended kidney screen

The kidneys filter your blood and remove waste products that naturally occur in the body. They regulate the body’s pH, fluid balance and the level of electrolytes - potassium, sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate - which are essential for the body to function correctly.

Our renal test will check the volume of sodium and the two waste products produced by the kidneys (creatinine and urea), as an excess of these chemicals in your blood may suggest kidney disease, damage or failure, or be the result of dehydration.

We will also look at how well the glomeruli in your kidneys are filtering the blood, known as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

The amount of uric acid and protein in your blood will be checked as part of this kidney screen. The two main types of protein measured are albumin and globulin. Low levels of protein may be caused by liver or kidney problems, or a problem with absorption. Albumin is produced by the liver and exists in blood plasma - it plays a major role in preventing fluid from leaking out of the blood vessels and transports hormones, vitamins and minerals.