Hemodialysis End-of-Period Urea and Creatinine Profile (Serum/Plasma)

What This Test Measures

Urea nitrogen (blood urea nitrogen, or BUN) and creatinine are waste products your kidneys normally filter from your blood. During dialysis, these levels can rise if the process isn’t working as expected. Your doctor uses these measurements to adjust your dialysis settings to maintain balance in your body fluids and electrolytes.

Why It’s Done During Hemodialysis

At the end of each dialysis session, these tests help confirm that your kidneys are being supported effectively. If levels are too high, it may indicate that too much fluid or waste isn’t being removed, or that your blood flow through the dialysis machine isn’t optimal. If levels are too low, it might suggest excessive fluid removal or that your kidneys are still filtering waste too slowly.

How It’s Performed

A small blood sample is taken from your arm or hand at the end of your dialysis session. The sample is sent to a lab to measure the concentration of urea nitrogen and creatinine in your blood plasma or serum.

What the Results Mean

Your results will be compared to your baseline or previous readings to see if your dialysis is working as intended. Your doctor will discuss any changes needed to your dialysis plan based on these findings.