What it means
The glomeruli are the tiny filters in the kidneys. The GFR is the volume of blood they clean per minute. It is usually estimated (eGFR) 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 level, age and sex rather than measured directly. It falls as kidney disease gets worse and is used to stage chronic kidney diseaseKRON-ik KID-nee dih-ZEEZKidney damage or reduced kidney function that lasts longer than three months.Full entry . A GFR below 15 means kidney failure.
For the nurse
Check the eGFR before giving drugs cleared by the kidneys and before IV contrast dye; many doses are lowered when it is reduced.
At a glance
| Normal range | 90 mL/min/1.73 m² or higher in adults [1.5 mL/s/1.73 m² or higher]; it declines slowly with age. |
|---|---|
| Abbreviations | GFR; eGFR (estimated GFR) |
| Spanish | tasa de filtración glomerular |
| Also written | GFR, eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate |
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.
end-stage renal disease
The last stage of chronic kidney disease, when the kidneys have lost almost all of their function for good.