Creatinine and creatinine clearance are two related terms, as the creatinine clearance test compares creatinine levels in urine with creatinine levels in people’s blood. Both these give an estimate of the glomerular filtration rate.
The key difference between creatinine and creatinine clearance is their nature. Creatinine is a waste product of creatine, while creatinine clearance is a test that measures how well creatinine is removed from the blood by the kidneys.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Creatinine
3. What is Creatinine Clearance
4. Similarities – Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
5. Creatinine vs Creatinine Clearance in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Creatinine vs Creatinine Clearance
7. FAQ – Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a waste product of our body. It is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate from muscle and is also produced during protein metabolism. Creatinine is released at a constant rate by the human body based on the body mass. Creatinine is removed from the blood chiefly by the kidneys through glomerular filtration.
Some amount of creatinine is also removed through proximal tubular secretion. Additionally, there is no tubular reabsorption of creatinine. Therefore, creatinine concentrations in blood and urine can be used to calculate creatinine clearance (CrCl). This test provides an estimate of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which helps assess kidney function.
What is Creatinine Clearance?
Creatinine clearance is a test that checks kidney function by looking at the amount of creatinine in urine and blood. This test allows the healthcare provider to detect how much creatinine is in a sample of urine and blood. The ultimate results of this test can lead to a diagnosis of kidney disease.
The creatinine clearance test involves collecting urine over a 24-hour period and having blood drawn at the same period. Healthcare providers use these samples to see how much creatinine kidneys filter over the 24-hour window. Normally, a creatinine level in males is up to 1.3 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) in serum, and in females, up to 1.1 mg/dL in serum. Furthermore, there aren’t many risks of a creatinine clearance test. However, the most common side effects of a blood test include bruising at the injection site and fainting.
Similarities Between Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
- Creatinine and creatinine clearance are two related terms, as the creatinine clearance test compares creatinine levels in urine with creatinine levels in the blood of the people.
- Both help to measure the GFR rate.
- Both help to diagnose kidney diseases.
Difference Between Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
Definition
- Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate from muscle and protein metabolism.
- Creatinine clearance is a test that checks kidney function by looking at the amount of creatinine in the urine and blood.
Nature
- Creatinine is a chemical.
- Creatinine clearance is a urine and blood test.
Location
- Creatinine is in the serum of the human body.
- Creatinine clearance is a laboratory blood test performed by experienced lab technicians.
Function
- Creatinine is a waste product of creatine. But creatine provides energy to the muscles.
- Creatinine clearance is used to detect GFR rate and kidney function and diagnose kidney diseases.
The following table summarizes the difference between creatinine and creatinine clearance.
Summary – Creatinine vs Creatinine Clearance
Creatinine is a waste product generated from creatine phosphate from muscles and protein metabolism. Creatinine supplies energy for muscle functions. However, creatinine clearance is a diagnostic test that checks the kidney function by looking at the amount of creatinine in the urine and blood. Creatinine clearance also helps diagnose kidney diseases. This is the summary of the difference between creatinine and creatinine clearance.
FAQ: Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
1. What level of creatinine is alarming?
- High creatinine levels can indicate a range of underlying health conditions, including kidney infection and kidney failure. Doctors typically consider high creatinine levels to be above in males 1.3 mg/dL in serum and in females 1.1 mg/dL in serum.
2. Can creatinine go back to normal?
- Dehydration and high protein consumption may temporarily raise creatinine levels in the body. They will return to normal levels when a person is no longer dehydrated and reduces the higher protein intake.
3. What fruits can lower creatinine?
- Certain fruits can help reduce creatinine levels while also nourishing the body with fiber. Some of these fruits include apples, bananas, melons, oranges, avocados, kiwis, cranberries, and blueberries. These fruits are also rich in antioxidants.
4. Why is creatinine clearance more accurate in the case of kidney function?
- Renal function is better evaluated by measured creatinine clearance. This is because it takes into account not only the amount of creatinine in the blood but also the amount of creatinine within a specified volume of urine over a given period (24-hour window).
5. What happens if creatinine clearance is high?
- High creatinine clearance usually indicates a decline in kidney function. But this isn’t always the case. Healthcare providers normally use the results of several different tests and consider all factors before making a diagnosis of kidney disease.
Reference:
1. Shahbaz, Hassan. “Creatinine Clearance.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine.
2.“Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance.” HealthLink BC.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Creatinine” By Jesse – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Pretty Woman Getting a Blood Test” (CC)) via Pexels
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