TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Fred H. Madden and Wayne R. Bryant that would require clinical laboratories to aid in the early detection of kidney disease by monitoring creatinine levels in patients’ blood received final legislative approval today in the Assembly.
“This measure is about using preventative measures to help save lives,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “By working to identify kidney disease and other life-threatening disorders in their early stages, doctors will be able to help patients begin treatment as soon as they are diagnosed, and it will allow them to help the patients to live longer, healthier lives.”
The Senators’ measure, S-2232, would require all clinical laboratories within the State 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 required to submit reports highlighting patient glomerular filtration information to the patient’s prescribing physician.
Glomerular filtration measures how well a person’s kidneys filter waste from the blood. Doctors 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 breakdown of muscle cells. Excessively high creatinine levels can indicate the presence of kidney damage or failure.
“Kidney disease claims thousands of lives each year,” said Senator Bryant, D-Camden and Gloucester. “This measure would help identify the disease early on, so that patients can begin treatment, work to fight the disease and go on to live longer lives.”
This measure was approved by the Senate on June 9. It now heads to the Governor’s desk where his signature would make it State law.