There are many clinical manifestations of chronic kidney disease (CKD), such as urinary protein, urinary occult blood, creatinine, high uric acid, high blood potassium, anemia, edema, etc., but what is the connection between these manifestations and the severity of kidney disease? For example, one patient's urine protein is 2+, while another patient's urine occult blood is 3+, who's more serious?

Judging the severity of the disease is undoubtedly the key to the treatment of the disease. But to judge the severity of illness condition, it is not only to see how many + or swelling.

The judgment of the severity of the illness is mainly based on the following three considerations.

(1) glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

Glomerular filtration function is mainly determined by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and endogenous creatinine clearance rate (Ccr). In general, creatinine is often seen as an important indicator of renal function progression. However, to determine the severity of nephropathy, you should look at the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) firstly rather than serum creatinine (Scr).

According to GFR, CKD can be divided into five stages. Before stage 3, CKD is reversible. Once GFR<15, you are in kidney failure stage, and then you have to live on dialysis or kidney transplant.

(2) 24-hour urinary protein

24-hour urinary protein is an important indicator of the severity and progression of nephropathy, and its criteria are as follows:

Mild proteinuria: 24-hour urinary protein is less than 1.0g;

Moderate proteinuria: 24-hour urinary protein is between 1.0 and 3.5g;

Severe proteinuria: 24-hour urinary protein is greater than 3.5g (most likely to cause uremia).

Therefore, judging the severity of kidney disease does not depend on the "+" in the urine routine, and sometimes even if the urine protein 3+, it does not indicate the severity of the disease.

(3) To see if there are complications

Once complications occur, CKD is likely to recur or get worse, which not only makes treatment more difficult, but also leads to rapid renal failure and the progression to uremia.

Common complications of kidney disease include cold and pulmonary infection, heart failure and cerebrovascular accident, gastrointestinal bleeding, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia and hyperuricemia.

Before developing the treatment plan for kidney disease, the severity of the disease must be determined according to the medical history, symptoms and signs, glomerular filtration rate, 24-hour urinary protein quantification and various complications.

What is your GFR? Do you have proteinuria and complications? Now you know how to judge the severity of illness condition. For more information on CKD, please lave a message below or contact online doctor.