Identifying kidney disease in diabetes patients

When Arizona residents have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, they are often at greater risk for developing chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. Unfortunately, the tests for determining if a patient has either of these conditions is not completely accurate. Most tests are based on people’s albumin to creatinine ratio and their estimated glomerular filtration rate.

However, a clinical trial showed that while these metrics can help physicians determine if a person has either kidney condition, neither have a 100 percent success rate. In an effort to determine a better way to diagnose a person with these conditions, a doctor at the Joslin Diabetes Center started looking for other markers to test.

The doctor and his team discovered that there is a connection between a person’s tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and the renal function if the patient has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. To determine the accuracy of this connection, a test was developed and studied. It was found that there appears to be an 81 percent success rate for the test in identifying individuals with end-stage renal disease if they had the condition within three years. The test was also accurate at identifying patients who were at risk for end-stage renal disease.

While it can be difficult for a medical professional to quickly and correctly diagnose a person with an uncommon condition, in some cases a misdiagnosis may be considered medical malpractice. An attorney representing a patient whose medical condition has worsened as a result will need to demonstrate that the error constituted a failure to exhibit the requisite standard of care.