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- The end product after the compound creatine has been metabolized. It can be found in muscle cells, blood, and urine.
- This is an indicator of renal function. Blood creatinine level is dependent on the breakdown of muscle and not to dietary intake, furthermore, its excretion is entirely by glomerular filtration, it is a more sensitive indicator than BUN. In renal failure, serum creatinine level rises within hours, in the absence of renal function, at a rate of 80 - 125 umol/L per day (1 - 1.5 mg/dL per day).
It should be noted that when the rise of creatinine level reaches a plateau, renal function is actually recovered, despite creatinine level is still above normal (in equilibrium, production is equal to excretion). Normal range: 50 - 120 umol/L
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Medical Dictionary