Source
Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Liege University Hospital, CHU Sart Tilman (B35), 4000 Liege, Belgium.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the sensitivity of cystatin C and creatinine in detecting decreased glomerular filtration rate.
DESIGN:
Prospective observational study.
SETTING:
Medical intensive care unit at a university hospital.
PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS:
Fourteen patients hospitalised in a medical intensive care unit.
INTERVENTIONS:
Cystatin C and creatinine plasmatic levels were measured in 40 blood samples taken with an interval of at least 24 h.
MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:
Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by creatinine clearance using 24-h urine collection and the classical Cockcroft-Gault equation. The ability of cystatin C to detect a glomerular filtration rate under 80 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) was significantly better than that of creatinine ( p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Cystatin C, a new plasmatic marker of renal function, could be used to detect renal failure in intensive care in the future.