Renal Assessment
Use when asked to administer, score, or explain a Renal Assessment — CKD staging using the KDIGO GFR x albuminuria heatmap — grounded in FormExamples/form-examples.
Renal (kidney) assessment aligned with KDIGO 2012/2024 CKD classification, stratifying chronic kidney disease by GFR category (G1–G5) and albuminuria category (A1–A3) to produce a composite risk level that drives management and referral.
Scoring
Instrument: KDIGO CKD Classification (GFR × Albuminuria heatmap).
- GFR (mL/min/1.73 m²): G1 ≥ 90, G2 60–89, G3a 45–59, G3b 30–44, G4 15–29, G5 < 15 (kidney failure).
- Albuminuria (ACR mg/mmol): A1 < 3, A2 3–30, A3 > 30.
- Composite risk: Low / Moderate / High / Very High, from the combination of GFR and albuminuria categories.
What it covers
Demographics; presenting symptoms; CKD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, family history, nephrotoxic drugs); physical examination; blood tests (creatinine, eGFR, urea, electrolytes); urine tests (ACR, dipstick); imaging and biopsy review; medication review and dose adjustment; and clinical impression with KDIGO stage.
Common pitfalls
- Staging from GFR alone without albuminuria — the KDIGO heatmap explicitly combines both axes; a GFR-only assessment can significantly understate risk in a patient with high albuminuria but preserved GFR.
- Not adjusting medication doses for reduced renal function — many common drugs need dose adjustment or avoidance as GFR falls; the medication review step exists specifically to catch this, and skipping it is a real safety risk, not just an administrative gap.
- Diagnosing CKD from a single abnormal eGFR — CKD is defined by abnormalities persisting for ≥ 3 months; a single reading (which can reflect acute kidney injury instead) needs confirmation over time before being labeled chronic.
Learn more
- FormExamples: renal-assessment for the full implementation, clinical references, and worked examples.
- Diabetes Assessment for a related assessment (diabetes is a leading CKD risk factor).