Clinical Application of BUN/Creatinine Ratio in Kidney Function Assessment
Assessment and Prognosis
- The National Kidney Foundation recommends estimated GFR using formulas like MDRD or CKD-EPI for more accurate assessment of kidney function, especially in older adults 1
- Age-related changes in muscle mass can affect creatinine levels in older adults, potentially masking mild renal dysfunction despite normal-appearing laboratory values 1
Dialysis Patient Management
- In dialysis patients, BUN levels are used to calculate protein catabolic rate and assess dialysis adequacy 2, 3
- Residual kidney function affects predialysis BUN concentration, with higher residual function resulting in lower predialysis BUN levels 4, 5
- The effect of residual urea clearance is primarily seen during the interdialysis interval when it decreases the predialysis BUN level 4, 6