Kidney Function Assessment

Abstract

Kidney dysfunction can present acutely due to various injuries or disease processes or can be a progressive condition as a result of other chronic illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension. Pharmacists have an important role to play in evaluating patients' renal function. Assessing renal function in a systematic way will aid in appropriate dosage adjustment of renally eliminated medications and prevent toxicity and potential further kidney damage. Understanding and interpreting the various markers of kidney function are important to identify patients at risk of kidney disease. This will potentially lead to early disease identification and implementation of appropriate interventions to reduce disease progression and provide ongoing management.