Short communication, Note

DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH TO PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

JASNA VUČAK ; General/Family Practice Office, Sukošan, Croatia
ENA VUČAK ; Department of Emergency Medicine, Zadar County, Zadar, Croatia
INES BALINT ; General Family Practice Office, Strmec Samoborski, Croatia

Abstract

According to consensus defi nition, chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes urinary excretion of albumin >30 mg/day and/or reduction in kidney function defi ned as a decrease in estimated glomerular fi ltration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for a period longer than three months, in the presence of kidney tissue damage verifi ed by imaging or histologic methods. In developed world, the fi rst cause of CKD is diabetes, followed by arterial hypertension, and the less frequent causes are infl ammatory disease (glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis) and congenital condition (polycystic kidney disease). Currently, there is valid classifi cation under the acronym CGA, where C stands for the cause, G for glomerular fi ltration rate (GFR category) and A for the level of albuminuria category. In early stages, patients usually have no symptoms but there are changes in creatinine values, estimated GFR (eGFR) reduction and presence of albuminuria, especially in patients at risk. Determining the grade of renal impairment is important because of different approaches to treatment, monitoring, expected complications, and patient education. Due to improved diagnostic methods and population aging, CKD is diagnosed ever more increasingly. Family physicians should be familiar with the basic principles of screening and diagnosis of CKD to provide them with appropriate care in collaboration with secondary and tertiary health care.

Keywords

chronic kidney disease; diagnosis; general/family medicine

Hrčak ID:

179227

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/179227

Publication date:

6.4.2017.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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