Importance
Kidney function tests are important for:
Early detection of kidney disease
Calibrating dosage of various drugs that are excreted or metabolized in the kidneys
Indication of the appropriate time to start dialysis
Assessment of kidney status in both donors and recipients of heart and kidney transplants
An individual who is at risk for kidney failure is advised to have regular tests to take any deterioration in kidney function. Risk factors include:
Mellitus diabetes
Hypertension
Heart disease
Rich in cholesterol
Age over 50 years
Family history of kidney failure
Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer among men, with almost 900,000 new cases a year in the world.
It is a test that uses sound waves to make pictures of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
The kidneys are a pair of organs that are located near the back of the abdominal cavity, just above the waist. They are responsible for removing waste products from the blood and producing urine. The ureters are thin tubes that carry urine to the bladder.
Doctors order kidney ultrasounds when they are concerned about some types of kidney or bladder problems. Kidney ultrasound may show the following:
- the size of the kidneys
- signs of kidney injury
- abnormalities present from birth
- the presence of obstructions or stones in the kidneys
- complications of a urinary tract infection
- cysts or tumors
Renal ultrasound is performed in the radiology department of a hospital or radiology center. Your child will need to put on a robe and lie on a stretcher. The room is usually dark so that you can see the images clearly on the computer screen.
The ultrasound machine will place a gel on your child’s abdomen or on the kidney area. This gel helps transmit sound waves. The technician will then rub a small handheld instrument (transducer) over the gel. The transducer emits high-frequency sound waves, and a computer measures how the waves bounce off the body. The computer transforms those sound waves into images that can be analyzed.