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The CG equation is often used by pharmacologists for drug dosing. Much of the research on
drug clearance was performed before the MDRD equation was developed.
There are other equations that include cystatin C, which are not in wide use yet.
Testing for cystatin C is very expensive; testing for creatinine is very cheap.
In children, there is not a single formula recommended for all ages. However, the Schwartz
formula is frequently used and appropriate for most ages, but should be used with caution or
avoided in premature infants in the first several months of life. In the premature infant
population, more specialized equations are often used. The pediatric Schwartz equation:
GFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) = (0.413 * Height in cm) / (serum Cr)
Formulas are not accurate in acute renal failure or early stage kidney disease.
g. If interpreted strictly within a reference range, the test is relatively insensitive for small
decrements in renal function. However, the test is highly sensitive for changes in renal function with
respect to the patient's baseline creatinine.
3. Urine dipstick or reagent strip (a variety of absorbent pads attached to a plastic strip)
a. “Point of care” testing with visual interpretation or automated detection by laboratory (with or without
microscopy)
b. Exposure of urine to pads on test strip results in potential detection of nitrites, pH, protein
(particularly albuminuria), leukocytes (pyuria), blood (hematuria), glucose (glucosuria), ketone
bodies, urobilinogen, bilirubin and/or specific gravity
c. Does not distinguish myoglobin from hemoglobin
d. Not a reliable method to detect Bence-Jones proteins (kappa and lambda immunoglobulin light
chains)
e. Requires confirmation by urine microscopy if blood is detected
4. Urine microscopy
a. A drop of centrifuged urine sediment (pellet) is placed on a glass slide and examined by light
microscopy for possible cellular elements (leukocytes, erythrocytes and epithelial cells), casts,
crystals or infectious organisms such as bacteria.
b. Hematuria: red blood cells (RBCs) in urine
i. RBCs lack nuclei and normally have a smooth, biconcave shape.
ii. RBC casts are molded in the tubules of the nephrons and implicate the glomerulus as
the origin of hematuria (excludes lower urinary tract bleeding, e.g., bladder or prostate).
iii. Presence of dysmorphic RBCs implicates glomerulus as the source of hematuria
c. Granular casts: Sloughed necrotic tubular epithelial cells are shed into the urine as free epithelial
cells, or molded into cellular or coarse granular casts (e.g., “muddy brown casts” are seen in acute
tubular necrosis).
d. Pyuria: white blood cells (WBCs) in urine indicate inflammation of the urinary tract and infection
should be ruled out. WBC casts originate in renal tubules.
5. 24 hour timed urine collection for protein (or albumin) quantification (to confirm and quantify urine
dipstick). If creatinine is also measured in the same specimen, this permits an estimate of the accuracy
of urine collection. Measurement of total protein in urine is standardized for albumin.
6. Random Urine Albumin (or Protein):Creatinine Ratio (spot urinary protein/creatinine ratio)
a. Measured in a single “spot” urine specimen
b. Reliable reflection of 24 hour excretion rate of albumin
c. Protein:creatinine ratio of > 3.5 is suggestive of nephrotic range proteinuria. A ratio of < 0.2 is
suggestive of normal protein excretion
b. Immunofixation electrophoresis is done to identify the specific type of monoclonal protein that is
being produced by the malignant plasma cells, typically the heavy chains IgG, IgM, IgA and light
chains Kappa and Lambda are evaluated. IgD and IgE can also be assessed, if needed.