A standard blood test for renal function provides levels of urea, creatinine and an estimated glomerular function rate (eGFR). As the liver breaks down protein naturally, urea is produced and is excreted by the kidneys. Creatinine is also a waste product found in the blood and, again, excreted by the kidneys. A high level of urea and/or creatinine in the blood can indicate that the kidneys are working sub-optimally. The eGFR represents a combined function of both kidneys and makes assumptions about the patient's height, weight, gender and body shape, and it is impossible to say if both kidneys are contributing equally to the overall function. A normal split function is 45%-55%1.
Nuclear medicine (NM) specialises in physiology (functional) imaging so DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) and MAG3 (mercaptoacetyl triglycine) scans are frequently requested to give a split function, especially when one kidney is seen...
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