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Investigations | Comments |
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Essential tests | |
Urinalysis | Proteinuria and/or haematuria represent an active urinary sediment suggestive of glomerular disease |
Serum creatinine, urea and electrolytes | |
Full blood count and blood film | To rule out thrombotic mircoangiopathy and haemolysis; eosinophilia may be present with interstitial nephritis |
C-reactive protein | elevated in inflammatory diseases and/or infections |
Arterial or venous bicarbonate | |
Investigations to be considered depending on history and/or clinical signs | |
Creatine kinase | To rule out rhabdomyolysis |
Serum and urine protein electrophoresis | To rule out myeloma |
Antinuclear antibody (ANA) | In case of possible diagnosis of SLE or connective tissue disease |
Antineutrophil antibody (ANCA) | In case of possible systemic vasculitis |
Anti-streptolysin O titres | To rule out post streptococcal glomerulonephritis |
Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody | To rule out Goodpasture’s disease |
Complement levels | Reduced in SLE, infectious endocarditis and cryoglobulinaemia |
Hep B, Hep C and HIV serology | To rule out renal disease caused by viral infections |
Renal ultrasound | To assess renal size; to rule out obstruction and chronic kidney damage |
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