A CKD patient is someone who has Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which is defined as having kidney damage or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m² for 3 months or more, regardless of the cause. This signifies a progressive loss of kidney function.
In more detail, the definition breaks down as follows:
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Kidney Damage: This can be evidenced by abnormalities in urine (e.g., protein or blood), blood tests, imaging studies (like ultrasound or CT scans), or a kidney biopsy.
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eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²: The estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) measures how well the kidneys are filtering waste from the blood. A normal eGFR is generally above 90 mL/min/1.73 m². A value below 60 indicates reduced kidney function. The "1.73 m²" is a standardized body surface area.
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Persistence for 3 Months or More: The abnormality or reduced function must be present for at least three months to be classified as CKD, distinguishing it from acute kidney injury (AKI), which is a sudden loss of kidney function.
In simpler terms, a CKD patient has kidneys that aren't working as well as they should for at least three months, and this can be due to various reasons causing damage or reduced filtering ability.
CKD is staged from 1 to 5, with stage 5 representing kidney failure. The staging is based on the eGFR value, influencing treatment strategies.
