Kidney function tests is a collective term for a variety of individual tests and procedures that can be done to evaluate how well the kidneys are functioning. A doctor who orders kidney function tests and uses the results to assess the functioning of the kidneys is called a nephrologist. The kidneys, the body's natural filtration system, perform many vital functions, including removing metabolic waste products from the bloodstream, regulating the body's water balance, and maintaining the pH (acidity/alkalinity) of the body's fluids. Approximately one and a half quarts of blood per minute are circulated through the kidneys, where waste chemicals are filtered out and eliminated from the body (along with excess water) in the form of urine. Kidney function tests help to determine if the kidneys are performing their tasks adequately. The doctor should take a complete history prior to conducting kidney function tests to evaluate the patient's food and drug intake. A wide variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect blood and urine kidney function test results, as can some food and beverages. Many conditions can affect the ability of the kidneys to carry out their vital functions. Some conditions can lead to a rapid (acute) decline in kidney function; others lead to a gradual (chronic) decline in function. Both can result in a build-up of toxic waste substances in the blood. A number of clinical laboratory tests that measure the levels of substances normally regulated by the kidneys can help to determine the cause and extent of kidney dysfunction. Urine and blood samples are used for these tests. The nephrologist uses these results in a number of ways. Once a diagnosis is made that kidney disease is present and what kind of kidney disease is causing the problem, the nephrologist may recommend a specific treatment. Although there is no specific drug therapy that will prevent the progression of kidney disease, the doctor will make recommendations for treatment to slow the disease as much as possible. For instance, the doctor might prescribe blood pressure medications, or treatments for patients with diabetes. If kidney disease is getting worse, the nephrologist may discuss hemodialysis (blood cleansing by removal of excess fluid, minerals, and wastes) or kidney transplantation (surgical procedure to implant a healthy kidney into a patient with kidney disease or kidney failure) with the patient. There are a number of urine tests that can be used to assess kidney function. A simple, inexpensive screening test—a routine urinalysis—is often the first test conducted if kidney problems are suspected. A small, randomly collected urine sample is examined physically for things like color, odor, appearance, and concentration (specific gravity); chemically, for substances such a protein, glucose, and pH (acidity/alkalinity); and microscopically for the presence of cellular elements (red blood cells [RBCs], white blood cells [WBCs], and epithelial cells), bacteria, crystals, and casts (structures formed by the deposit of protein, cells, and other substances in the kidneys's tubules). If results indicate a possibility of disease or impaired kidney function, one or more of the following additional tests is usually performed to pinpoint the cause and the level of decline in kidney function. There are also several blood tests that can aid in evaluating kidney function. These include: Normal values for many tests are determined by the patient's age and gender. Reference values can also vary by laboratory, but are generally within the following ranges: Low clearance values for creatinine indicate a diminished ability of the kidneys to filter waste products from the blood and excrete them in the urine. As clearance levels decrease, blood levels of creatinine, urea, and uric acid increase. Because it can be affected by other factors, an elevated BUN, alone, is suggestive, but not diagnostic for kidney dysfunction. An abnormally elevated plasma creatinine is a more specific indicator of kidney disease than is BUN. Low clearance values for creatinine and urea indicate a diminished ability of the kidneys to filter these waste products from the blood and to excrete them in the urine. As clearance levels decrease, blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen increase. Since it can be affected by other factors, an elevated BUN alone is certainly suggestive for kidney dysfunction. However, it is not diagnostic. An abnormally elevated blood creatinine, a more specific and sensitive indicator of kidney disease than the BUN, is diagnostic of impaired kidney function. The inability of the kidneys to concentrate the urine in response to restricted fluid intake, or to dilute the urine in response to increased fluid intake during osmolality testing, may indicate decreased kidney function. Because the kidneys normally excrete almost no protein in the urine, its persistent presence, in amounts that exceed the normal 24-hour urine value, usually indicates some type of kidney disease. Some kidney problems are the result of another disease process, such as diabetes or hypertension. Doctors should take the time to inform patients about how their disease or its treatment will affect kidney function, as well as the different measures patients can take to help prevent these changes. Brenner, Barry M. and Floyd C. Rector Jr., eds. The Kidney, 6th Edition. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company, 1999. 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