Creatinine Test

If you exhibit symptoms of renal illness, your doctor can request a creatinine blood test to evaluate your creatinine levels. These signs consist of:

• exhaustion and difficulty sleeping
• a decrease in appetite
• the face, wrists, ankles, or abdomen and swelling
• an ache in the lower back near the kidneys
• variations in urine frequency and output
• blood pressure is high.
• nausea\vomiting

Numerous diseases or situations can cause kidney issues, including:

• Glomerulonephritis is an infection of the kidneys caused by damage to the glomeruli
• pyelonephritis, a bacterial infection of the kidneys
• prostate disease, such as an enlarged prostate
• If blood flow to the kidneys is decreased due to kidney stones, diabetes, heart failure, or dehydration
• death of kidney cells because of drug abuse
• streptococcal infections like post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis

The serum creatinine level can be used to gauge how rapidly the kidneys can filter blood (glomerular filtration rate).

The serum creatinine count is considered for estimating GFR and other variables, including age and sex. A GFR of less than 60 indicates renal disease. To track the effectiveness of treatment and the course of the condition, scores below 60 may be employed.

The ability of the kidneys to remove creatinine from urine is measured by creatinine clearance.

Typically, the creatinine measurement in a 24-hour urine sample and a serum sample collected simultaneously are used to calculate creatinine clearance.

The creatinine blood test is a simple procedure that uses a minimal amount of blood or urine sample.

The process to withdraw a blood sample for a serum creatinine test:

• The creatinine blood test is a simple procedure that uses a minimal amount of blood. 
• The inside of the arm is where the blood sample is taken from. 
• The site is cleaned with an antiseptic.  
• To make it simple to locate a vein, they put a band around your arm to cause the veins to expand with blood.
• To take blood, a needle is placed into a vein at a pre-sterilized location on the inside of the arm. 
• The test is not painful; however, you may feel a slightly prick when the needle is inserted. 
• The medical professional covers the area where the blood was extracted with a bandage after removing the needle and taking the blood sample.

Precautions for The Test

To prepare for the test, your doctor could advise fasting the night before. You might have to refrain from eating meat for a particular time before the test. If you are consuming any creatine supplement, you must also stop it.

For the urine test, you might need to collect urine for 24 hours in containers the clinic will give for the creatinine urine test.

Are there Any Risks Involved?

A blood test to measure creatinine is a low-risk technique. However, there are a few little concerns, such as:

• fainting upon seeing blood,
• feeling dizziness or vertigo,
• slight soreness or redness at the site of blood collection
• maybe bruising, minor pain, or an infection that is not so serious

Micromoles of creatinine per litre of blood (micromoles/L) or milligrams of creatinine per decilitre of blood (mg/dL) are used to measure serum creatinine. The serum creatinine normal range is as follows:

• 0.74 to 1.35 mg/dL (65.4 to 119.3 micromoles/L) for adult males
• 0.59 to 1.04 mg/dL (52.2 to 91.9 micromoles/L) for adult females

Results below the expected range may indicate impaired kidney function or diseases that reduce blood flow to the kidneys. Low levels of the waste substance creatinine in the body may indicate that the muscles or liver are not functioning as they should.

If your creatinine levels are high, your kidneys may not function properly. An underlying medical issue is indicated if the blood or urine creatinine levels are high.