| Sub-title | |
| Author | E Farrugia |
| Abstract | Quantifying the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) accurately is a prerequisite for diagnosing and treating patients with kidney disease. Estimating the creatinine clearance, itself a surrogate of the GFR, using formulae based on serum creatinine, is nowadays frequently recommended by nephrology societies. This method obviously spares the inconvenience to the patient of collecting a reliably complete 24-hour urine sample. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the traditional 24-hour creatinine clearance (24-HCC) measured at St Lukes Hospital laboratory with the creatinine clearance derived using the standard Cockcroft-Gault (CG) formula. Methods: 21 adult patients (11 female, 10 male), affected by different kidney disease, and with renal function ranging from normality to advanced renal failure participated in the study. Results: Perfect agreement between the 24-HCC and CG was seen in only 19% of patients. In the majority of patients, clearance readings were lower with the CG than with 24-HCC. This finding is at variance to what is reported in the literature, where the formula tends to overestimate the 24-HCC. Discussion: In the local setting, a widespread discrepancy exists between values obtained by the two methods used to measure creatinine clearance. Possible reasons for this finding will be discussed. |
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| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 15 Issue 1-2/suppl. 2003 |
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| Key words | creatinine clearance, formula, urine collection, glomerular filtration rate |