General Introduction
Our hospital nephrology department and our contracted doctors recommends regular check-ups to help prevent and treat the early stages of kidney disease.
Because sometimes there may be no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, or nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, and changes in the amount of urine may occur.
Regular tests are especially important if you are at risk of kidney disease (high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, family history of kidney problems).
Common diseases examined by nephrology
Diseases of the kidney and diseases affecting the kidney are examined in our nephrology department. In this way, a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of diseases can be performed.
Nephrological diseases that we frequently encounter in our hospital are;
Kidney inflammations (such as nephritis, pyelonephritis)
Kidney failure (acute or chronic)
Urinary tract infections
Hypertension (of kidney origin)
Tests of the nephrology department
Nephrologists can perform various tests and procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney, urinary tract, and bladder diseases.
Laboratory tests
A wide variety of tests can be used to evaluate the function of your kidneys. These tests are usually performed on a blood or urine sample.
Blood tests
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is one of the tests performed in the nephrology department. This test measures how well your kidneys filter your blood. In kidney disease, GFR begins to fall below normal levels.
In the serum creatinine test, the amount of creatinine in the blood is evaluated. Creatinine is a waste product and has higher levels in the blood of people with kidney failure.
The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the level of BUN in the blood as well as creatinine, and the presence of high levels of this waste product is a sign of kidney dysfunction.
Urine tests
As a result of the urinalysis, pH measurement is performed as well as the presence of abnormal amounts of blood, glucose, protein, or bacteria. Each of these values is important for the diagnosis of kidney disease.
The albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) test measures the amount of protein albumin in the urine. The presence of albumin in the urine is a sign of kidney dysfunction.
The 24-hour urine collection method uses a special container to collect all the urine produced for 24 hours. More tests can be performed on this sample.
The creatinine clearance test has a significant place in the kidney dysfunction test battery. This is a measure of creatinine taken from both a blood sample and a 24-hour urine sample used to calculate the amount of creatinine that comes out of the blood and is carried into the urine.
Procedures of the nephrology department
In addition to reviewing and interpreting the results of laboratory tests, the nephrologist can work with other professionals on the following procedures:
Imaging tests of the kidneys, such as ultrasound, CT scan, or X-rays
Dialysis, including the insertion of the dialysis catheter
Kidney biopsies
Kidney transplant