Creatinine Blood Test
Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
What is creatinine?
Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is
generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. Approximately 2% of the body's creatine is converted to creatinine every day. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of it in the urine.
Because the muscle mass in the body is relatively constant from day to day, the creatinine level in the blood normally remains essentially unchanged on a daily basis.
Why is it important to check blood creatinine levels?
The kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range.
Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function.
As the kidneys become impaired for any reason, the creatinine level in the blood will rise due to poor clearance by the kidneys. Abnormally high levels of creatinine thus warn of possible malfunction or failure of the kidneys. It is for this reason that standard blood tests routinely check the amount of creatinine in the blood. A more precise measure of the kidney function can be estimated by calculating how much creatinine is cleared from the body by the kidneys and it is referred to creatinine clearance.
Next: What are "normal" blood creatinine levels? »
- inulin in sodium chloride-injection - Consumer information about the medication INULIN IN SODIUM CHLORIDE - INJECTION , includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug INULIN IN SODIUM CHLORIDE - INJECTION.
- Dialysis - Dialysis is a procedure that performs many of the normal duties of the kidneys, like filtering waste products from the blood, when the kidneys no longer work adequately. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
- Kidney Failure - Learn about kidney failure, in which the body has fluid retention, risen blood pressure, toxin build up and lack of red blood cells. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, and apetite loss.
Latest Medical News
Specialty RSS
