A nurse is collecting a urine specimen prior to measuring the albumin level in a client's urine. A colleague questions the rationale for the test, stating, "I thought albumin was related to liver function, not kidney function."

Question

How can the nurse best respond to this statement?
A)
"Urine should normally be free of any proteins, and albumin is one of the more common proteins to be excreted in chronic renal failure."
B)
"Urine albumin levels are useful for diagnosing diabetic kidney disease."
C)
"A urine dipstick test will tell us exactly how much albumin is being spilled by the client's kidneys."
D)
"A urine test for albumin allows us to estimate the client's GFR quite accurately."

Answer 1

Ans:
B

Feedback:

In clients with diabetes, albumin tests are useful adjunctive test of nephron injury and repair. Urine is not normally completely free of proteins, and a urine dipstick does not allow for the quantification of how much albumin is in a sample. Albumin tests do not allow for an accurate indirect indication of GFR.