RE: Re: Blood work- High Bun/Creatinine Ratio?-Andy

[Guest guest]

In my view, BUN:creatinine ratio, along with red cell indices and anion

gap, when part of a screening test, are best taken with a grain of salt.

While creatinine is fairly stable, BUN can be all over the map depending

on state of hydration, diet, recent activity and individual variability.

If fasting was part of the preparation for the blood test, increased

BUN:creatinine is a predictable result. Derived measures of this sort

can be of some utility when there is already clinical suspicion about an

abnormality, but as a specific indicator of illness they are worthless.

In this instance, perhaps there was a routine urinalysis done at the

same time as the blood test. If so, look for the specific gravity of

the urine. If it is over about 1.015, this is probably the basis of the

increased BUN:creatinine ratio.

Jim

________________________________

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of thedyes

Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:04 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: Blood work- High Bun/Creatinine

Ratio?-Andy

Andy- Please see my notes in parathensisis. Thanks Sheila

> >

> > We have done 15 rounds of DMSA and ALA. All bloodwork came back

ok

> > except her Serurm Creatinine was low (Her's .42)

>

> Labs invariably give an adult range. The appropriate range for

small children is 0.3 to 0.7.

>

> > and her Bun/Creat. Ratio was high.(Her's 33)

>

> Because again it is an adult range.

>

> > Her doctor recommended we give her L-Carnosine 1000 mg a day to

help

> > with this. Has anyone experience this? (What is L-Carnosine used

for? Does this help the creatinine levels?)

>

> I see it all the time on the list and in case consultation. It's

always as described above. At

> least your lab used a pediatric range for alkaline phosphatase, or

that wasn't tested for. (Her's 311 Range 100-400)

>

> Andy

>