Blood Urea Nitrogen Test

A blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of urea nitrogen found in your blood. Urea nitrogen is a waste product made when your liver breaks down protein. It’s carried in your blood, filtered out by your kidneys, and removed from your body in your urine. If your liver isn’t healthy, it may not break down proteins the way it should. And if your kidneys aren't healthy, they may not properly filter urea. Either of these problems can lead to larger amounts of urea nitrogen in your body.

Why do I need this test?

If your health care doctor provider thinks that you have kidney problems, you may need a blood urea test (BUN) test to help diagnose the condition. Symptoms that can mean kidney problems include:

• ·       Needing to urinate more or less often
• ·       Joint or bone pain
• ·       Muscle cramps
• ·       Restless legs while you’re trying to sleep
• ·       Fatigue
• ·       Itchiness
• ·       Swelling in the arms or legs

Many people with kidney problems may not have symptoms right away.

 It may be part of a routine health check to find out how your kidneys are working. If you need dialysis or medicine for kidney function, you may have the test to check the health of your kidneys before the procedure, after the procedure, or both. BUN tests are also routine during hospital stays for certain conditions.

Blood urea nitrogen laboratory rate is 200 only it is a part of kidney function test as blood urea test.

What you can expect

During the BUN test, a member of your health care team takes a sample of blood by inserting a needle into a vein in your arm. The blood sample is sent to a lab for analysis. You can return to your usual activities immediately.

What do you mean Results..

Results of the BUN test are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in the United States and in millimoles per liter (mmol/L) internationally. In general, around 10 to 40 mg/dL (2.1 to 8.5 mmol/L) is considered normal.

But normal ranges may vary, depending on the reference range used by the lab and your age. Ask your doctor to explain your results.

Urea nitrogen levels tend to increase with age. Infants have lower levels than other people do, and the range in children varies.

Generally, a high BUN level means your kidneys aren’t working well. But elevated BUN can also be due to:

• ·       Dehydration, resulting from not drinking enough fluids or for other reasons
• ·       Urinary tract obstruction
• ·       Congestive heart failure or recent heart attack
• ·       Gastrointestinal bleeding
• ·       Shock
• ·       Severe burns
• ·       Certain medications, such as some antibiotics
• ·       A high-protein diet

If kidney damage is a concern, ask your doctor what factors may be contributing to the damage and what steps you can take to try to control them.

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