Greg Low's Creatinine Page
Creatinine Clearance Calculators:
You can download the excel sheets here:
� 1997 [email protected]
For Excel 95 and Excel 97 users, there is a basic calculator ready to be tested. This is a fun little resource to investigate the interactions between height, weight and serum creatinine on creatinine clearance. Please note that only the Excel 95 version is updated regularly and has been checked for accuracy. The Excel 97 version is barely tested, and does not take into account adjusted body weight.
Creatinine Calculator for Excel 97
Creatinine Calculator for Excel 95
Current model being used at Newport Hospital (Excel95)
What does all this creatinine clearance mean? Wait and see as the page develops. This is an ongoing project that may soon be a valuable clinical as well as teaching tool. As for now it is just a glimpse into a college project. Mail me with any comments, questions or conerns about this page:
[email protected]
Summary:
The calculation of creatinine clearance is an indicator of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and is used clinically as an indicator of overall renal function. Several dosing regimes are altered in renal impairment.
What does the calculator do?
The excel calculator (95 version) is able to take the values of sex, age, height (cm), weight, and plasma creatinine and by use of the Cockroft and Gault equation calculates the creatinine clearance. The calculator will also calculate and use the most appropriate figure for weight depending on the patient's proximity to their ideal weight.
What determines the weight used?
Ideal body weight is calculated based upon sex and height. The calculator uses actual body weight when the patient is below their ideal weight. It uses ideal body weight if they are above their body weight by less than 20%. If they are 20% or more above their ideal weight the adjusted body weight will be used.
What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a byproduct of creatine metabolism that occurs in the muscle. This is why plasma creatinine is dependent upon muscle mass. Creatinine is one of the indicators of renal function. Other, more precise measurements are used in research such as inulin clearance, but for clinical purposes creatinine measurements are the standard.
What does Creatinine clearance mean?
A creatinine clearance of 50 or less indicates renal insufficiency. The lower the creatinine clearance, the more trouble the kidneys are having eliminating substances.
How do I use the creatinine clearance values?
Many textbooks, such as "Drug Prescribing in Renal Failure" ed. Bennett, and many others will make recommendations based upon the medications the patient is on and the degree of renal insufficiency. Recommendations may be to lower the frequency of doses, lower strengths given, or a combine both strategies.
What medications should get me thinking about renal function?
Medications which cause toxicity or have a narrow therapeutic index should be mentally flagged, as well as those that are heavily renally excreted. Digoxin, Glyburide, Allopurinol, Fluroquinolones and Aminoglycosides are examples of medications which often require adjustment. Specific guidelines should be consulted for each medication.
Get your own Free Home Page