Word parts
What it means
Fluid moves through a barrier under pressure, and only small particles go with it. In the kidneys, blood pressure pushes water and small substances out of tiny capillary loops (the glomeruli) into the kidney tubules, while blood cells and most proteins stay in the blood. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measures how well the kidneys filter.
For the nurse
The eGFR, calculated from serum creatinine, is used to stage kidney disease and to adjust doses of drugs cleared by the kidneys.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | GFR; eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | filtración |
Related terms
dialysis
A treatment that removes wastes and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do it.
renal
Relating to the kidneys.
creatinine
A waste product of muscle that the kidneys remove from the blood; its blood level is used to measure how well the kidneys work.
kidney
One of two bean-shaped organs in the back of the belly that filter the blood and make urine.