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A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.
Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine, which is an important part of muscle. Creatinine is removed from the body entirely by the kidneys. This article discusses the test done to measure the amount of creatinine in your urine.
A blood test can also be used to determine your creatinine level. See: Serum creatinine
How the test is performed
A random urine sample or a 24-hour collection may used. For information on how to collect a 24-hour urine sample, see: 24-hour urine collection.
How to prepare for the test
Your health care provider may tell you to temporarily stop taking certain medicines that may interfere with test results. Such medicines include:
- Cephalosporins (cefoxitin)
- Cisplatin
- Trimethoprim
How the test will feel
The test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.
Why the test is performed
This test can be used as a screening test to evaluate kidney function. It may also be used as part of the creatinine clearance test. It is often used to provide information on other chemicals in the urine such as albumin or protein.
Normal Values
Urine creatinine (24-hour sample) values can range from 500 to 2000 mg/day. Results depend greatly on your age and amount of lean body mass.
Another way of expressing the normal range for these test results are:
- 14 to 26 mg per kg of body mass per day for men
- 11 to 20 mg per kg of body mass per day for women
The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What abnormal results mean
Abnormal results of urine creatinine are nonspecific, but may be due to any of the following conditions:
- High meat diet
- Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
- Muscular dystrophy (late stage)
- Reduced kidney blood flow (as in shock or congestive heart failure)
- Urinary tract obstruction
References
- Landry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 116.
Review Date: 8/21/2011.
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Drugs that aim to prevent the loss of protein or albumin through urine in people with sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited disorders that often lead to kidney damage. High protein or albumin levels in urine is a strong predictor of subsequent kidney failure. It is common practice to give angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to reduce the level of protein or albumin in urine, thus protecting the kidneys from damage. However, little is known about how effective and safe these are in patients with sickle cell disease. This review included one study comparing captopril (an ACE inhibitor) to placebo. There were 22 participants in this study and the results were not convincing, with minor analysis changes leading to very different study conclusions. This study did not show that ACE inhibitors could reduce the level of protein or albumin in the urine. The level of creatinine and potassium in the blood were reported constant throughout the study. No serious adverse events were noted, although the potential for causing low blood pressure should be highlighted. More long‐term studies involving multiple centers and larger numbers of participants are warranted.
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