Renal Function Panel Most Popular

The Renal Function Panel test contains 1 test with 13 biomarkers.

Description: A renal panel is a blood test that is used to screen for, diagnose, and monitor a variety of conditions and diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease.

Also Known As: Kidney Panel Test, Kidney Function Panel Test

Collection Method: Blood Draw

Specimen Type: Serum

Test Preparation: Fasting Specimen Preferred

When is a Renal Function Panel test ordered:

When someone has risk factors for kidney disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, excessive cholesterol, or a family history of kidney disease, a health practitioner may recommend a renal panel.

When someone has signs and symptoms of kidney illness, a health professional may order a renal panel, albeit early kidney disease often has no symptoms. It can be discovered with routine blood or urine tests at first.

When someone is being treated for kidney disease, a renal panel may be done at regular intervals for monitoring purposes.

What does a Renal Function Panel blood test check for?

A renal panel is a collection of tests that can be used to assess kidney function. To establish the current condition of the kidneys, the tests measure levels of numerous chemicals in the blood, including many minerals, electrolytes, proteins, and glucose.

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs placed on the right and left sides of the back at the bottom of the ribcage. They filter about 150 quarts of blood per day on average, eliminating waste products from food breakdown and normal cell activity. The kidneys produce urine to evacuate excess water from the body as well as waste materials from the bloodstream.

The kidneys assist in the regulation of pH and levels of essential chemicals in the body, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, and bicarbonate, by separating them from waste materials and releasing them back into the blood, releasing only as much or as little as is required to maintain normal blood levels.

Waste products can build up in the blood and fluid levels can rise to dangerous levels if the kidneys aren't working properly, causing damage to the body or a potentially life-threatening situation. Kidney injury can be caused by a variety of illnesses and diseases. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common causes of renal disease and major risk factors.

Lab tests often ordered with a Renal Function Panel test:

  • Albumin
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
  • Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)
  • CO2
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Creatinine
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
  • Cystatin C with eGFR
  • Electrolyte Panel
  • Glucose
  • Potassium
  • Phosphorus
  • Sodium
  • Microalbumin
  • Beta-2 Microglobulin
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  • Urinalysis Complete
  • Urine Protein

Conditions where a Renal Function Panel test is recommended:

  • Kidney Disease
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Proteinuria
  • Hematuria

How does my health care provider use a Renal Function Panel test?

A renal panel can be used to assess kidney function, diagnose kidney-related illnesses, screen people who might develop kidney disease, or monitor someone who has already been diagnosed with kidney disease.

A urinalysis, urine protein, or creatinine clearance are some of the various laboratory tests that can be done to monitor kidney function. A urine albumin test, which analyzes small levels of albumin leakage from the blood into the urine, can also be used to detect early kidney impairment in people with diabetes or high blood pressure. An albumin/creatinine ratio can be estimated by measuring both albumin and creatinine in a random urine sample. This might be done to detect how much albumin is escaping from the kidneys into the urine more precisely.

What do my Renal Panel test results mean?

The findings of a renal panel test are not diagnostic; rather, they indicate that there may be a problem with the kidneys and that additional testing is needed to make a diagnosis and determine the reason. The panel's results are usually weighed jointly rather than separately. Individual test results may be abnormal for reasons other than kidney disease, but when combined with risks and/or signs and symptoms, they may indicate the presence of renal disease.

We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.

The following is a list of what is included in the item above. Click the test(s) below to view what biomarkers are measured along with an explanation of what the biomarker is measuring.

Albumin

Albumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood.

Bun/Creatinine Ratio

A ratio between a person’s BUN and blood creatinine to help determine what is causing these concentrations to be higher than normal. The ratio of BUN to creatinine is usually between 10:1 and 20:1. An increased ratio may be due to a condition that causes a decrease in the flow of blood to the kidneys, such as congestive heart failure or dehydration. It may also be seen with increased protein, from gastrointestinal bleeding, or increased protein in the diet. The ratio may be decreased with liver disease (due to decrease in the formation of urea) and malnutrition.

Calcium

You have more calcium in your body than any other mineral. Calcium has many important jobs. The body stores more than 99 percent of its calcium in the bones and teeth to help make and keep them strong. The rest is throughout the body in blood, muscle and the fluid between cells. Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and enzymes and to send messages through the nervous system.

Carbon Dioxide

CO2 is carbon dioxide. Measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the liquid part of your blood, called the serum. In the body, most of the CO2 is in the form of a substance called bicarbonate (HCO3-). Therefore, the CO2 blood test is really a measure of your blood bicarbonate level.

Chloride

Chloride is a type of electrolyte. It works with other electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and carbon dioxide (CO2). These substances help keep the proper balance of body fluids and maintain the body's acid-base balance. This is a measure of the amount of chloride in the fluid portion (serum) of the blood.

Creatinine

The creatinine blood test measures the level of creatinine in the blood. This test is done to see how well your kidneys work.

Egfr African American

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working. Specifically, it estimates how much blood passes through the glomeruli each minute. Glomeruli are the tiny filters in the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.

Egfr Non-Afr. American

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working. Specifically, it estimates how much blood passes through the glomeruli each minute. Glomeruli are the tiny filters in the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.

Glucose

A blood glucose test measures the amount of a sugar called glucose in a sample of your blood. Glucose is a major source of energy for most cells of the body, including those in the brain. The hormones insulin and glucagon help control blood glucose levels.

Phosphate (As Phosphorus)

This test is performed to see how much phosphorus in your blood. Kidney, liver, and certain bone diseases can cause abnormal phosphorus levels.

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that the body needs to work normally. It helps nerves and muscles communicate. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. A diet rich in potassium helps to offset some of sodium's harmful effects on blood pressure.

Sodium

Sodium is a substance that the body needs to work properly it is vital to normal body processes, including nerve and muscle function

Urea Nitrogen (Bun)

BUN stands for blood urea nitrogen. Urea nitrogen is what forms when protein breaks down. BUN measures the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood.
*Process times are an estimate and are not guaranteed. The lab may need additional time due to weather, holidays, confirmation/repeat testing, or equipment maintenance.

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