A 55-year-old patient with chronic kidney disease has a recent GFR of 25 mL/min. What CKD stage is this?

A 55-year-old patient with chronic kidney disease has a recent GFR of 25 mL/min. What CKD stage is this?

• A. Stage 3
• B. Stage 4
• C. Stage 5
• D. Stage 2

Answer: (B)

GFR-based CKD staging uses predefined ranges to describe how well the kidneys are filtering. The stages relevant here are: Stage 3 is a GFR roughly 30–59 mL/min, Stage 4 is 15–29 mL/min, and Stage 5 is less than 15 mL/min. A GFR of 25 mL/min sits squarely in the 15–29 range, so this patient is in Stage 4 CKD. This stage indicates a substantial decline in filtration capacity and typically prompts closer evaluation for complications and planning for progression, including monitoring electrolytes, anemia, bone-mineral balance, and preparation for advanced therapies if progression occurs.

GFR-based CKD staging uses predefined ranges to describe how well the kidneys are filtering. The stages relevant here are: Stage 3 is a GFR roughly 30–59 mL/min, Stage 4 is 15–29 mL/min, and Stage 5 is less than 15 mL/min. A GFR of 25 mL/min sits squarely in the 15–29 range, so this patient is in Stage 4 CKD. This stage indicates a substantial decline in filtration capacity and typically prompts closer evaluation for complications and planning for progression, including monitoring electrolytes, anemia, bone-mineral balance, and preparation for advanced therapies if progression occurs.