TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Fred H. Madden and Wayne R. Bryant that would require clinical laboratories to help with early kidney disease detection by monitoring creatinine levels in patients’ blood received unanimous approval today in the Senate.
“Early detection can mean the difference between life and death in cases of kidney damage,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “By requiring labs to keep track of patients’ glomerular levels, they will be able to track any creatinine abnormalities and work to combat kidney conditions early on to prevent further damage.”
The Senators’ measure, S-2232, would require clinical laboratories to calculate glomerular levels when testing for the presence of kidney disease in patients who have been referred by their primary health care provider. Laboratories would be directed to submit reports including patient glomerular filtration information to the patient’s prescribing physician.
Glomerular filtration is a measure of how well a person’s kidneys filter wastes from the blood. Physicians use the rate numbers to determine how well a patient’s kidneys function. Creatinine is a waste product found in the body as a result of the normal breaking down of muscle cells. Excessively high creatinine levels can indicate the presence of kidney damage or failure.
“Requiring laboratories to test glomerular filtration rates would help boost early detection in patients with kidney problems,” said Senator Bryant, D-Camden and Gloucester. “This measure is about working to save lives and increase the quality of life for people with kidney disease and other kidney defects.”
This measure was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on February 28. It now heads to the Assembly.