Significance of the creatinine test index in the diagnosis of renal failure

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Vu Thi Duyen, Doctor of Nephrology - Endocrinology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Creatinine - Product of the breakdown of creatine in the muscles, excreted by the kidneys and is an accurate indicator of kidney function. Creatin plays an important role in the production of energy for muscles to work, when creatine is degraded in the muscles, it will form creatinine and be filtered through the glomerulus. The case when they are not reabsorbed by the body in the renal tubules will accurately reflect the filtering function of the kidneys.
When creatinine levels are high, it means kidney dysfunction. Therefore, when kidney function is impaired, the ability to filter creatinine is reduced, leading to a higher than normal concentration of creatinine in the blood.

1. What is the creatinine level?

Renal function is more accurately assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate abbreviated GFR, which is estimated based on blood creatinine levels. BUN or blood urea nitrogen is another indicator of kidney function. The correlation between urea and creatinine will give more accurate information about kidney function as well as the cause of the disorder if any.
Recently increased creatinine levels in neonates have been linked to infection and in adult males to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

2. What creatinine level is normal?

In adults, normal creatinine levels are
Male: 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dl (ie 53-106 mmol/l). Females: 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dl (ie 44-97 mmol/l).

3. What is a high creatinine level?

Mức creatinine ( mmol/l)	Suy thận ( theo độ)
< 130 mmol/l	Suy thận độ I
130- 299 mmol/l	Suy thận độ II
300- 499 mmol/l	Suy thận độ IIIa
500- 899 mmol/l	Suy thận độ III b
>900 mmol/l	Suy thận độ IV

When patients with renal failure grade IIIa or higher are required to be replaced by lifelong hemodialysis, the quality of life is greatly reduced.

4. What are the symptoms of high creatinine levels?

Symptoms of kidney disease are varied and often have little clinical manifestations in the early stages and are not proportional to the increase in creatinine concentration. In some people with incidentally discovered kidney disease, elevated serum creatinine levels are asymptomatic.
Some others have symptoms such as: fatigue, edema, shortness of breath, anemia, increased blood pressure, less urination and some other non-specific symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dry skin, then this stage has failed. Very severe kidney disease is usually end-stage renal failure.

5. Causes of elevated blood creatinine levels (Seen in kidney failure)

Renal failure due to prerenal origin: decompensated heart failure, dehydration, hemorrhage, renal artery stenosis. Renal failure due to renal origin: Glomerulonephritis (hypertension, diabetes, glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus nephritis), tubular damage (nephritis, acute or chronic pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, pain) bone marrow, increased uric acid, nephrotoxicity). Renal failure due to post-renal origin: Kidney stones, prostate cancer, bladder tumors, uterine tumors.

Holter điện tâm đồ là gì và có ý nghĩa thế nào trong chẩn đoán rối loạn nhịp tim? — Suy thận gây ảnh hưởng tới sức khỏe

6. Cases with lower than normal creatinine levels

Elderly people have lower blood creatinine levels. Newborns have creatinine levels around 0.2 mg/dl or more, depending on their muscle growth.
In situations such as severe malnutrition, severe weight loss or long-term chronic diseases where muscle mass tends to decrease over time, creatinine levels may be lower than expected.
Because of the above reason, creatinine test to evaluate kidney function is necessary to help us have the opportunity to screen for kidney failure at a very mild stage from which to have the most appropriate treatment plan, because Because when kidney failure is not detected promptly over time, it will progress to severe end-stage renal failure requiring replacement treatment with hemodialysis. This test is included in Vinmec's General Health Checkup packages, helping patients quickly detect the disease even when there are no symptoms.

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