What it means
Each kidney has about a million glomeruli, small knots of capillaries. Blood pressure pushes water, salts, glucose and wastes through their walls into the kidney tubules, while blood cells and most proteins stay in the blood. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR), usually estimated from the blood creatininekree-AT-uh-neenA waste product of muscle that the kidneys remove from the blood; its blood level is used to measure how well the kidneys work.Full entry (eGFR), is the main measure of kidney function. A healthy adult GFR is about 90 mL/min/1.73 m² or more.
For the nurse
A low GFR means many drugs need lower doses. Check it before giving drugs the kidneys remove and before contrast dye.
Related terms
chronic kidney disease
Kidney damage or reduced kidney function that lasts longer than three months.
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.
blood urea nitrogen
A blood test that measures urea nitrogen, a waste product made when the body breaks down protein.