Beginning February 28^th, 2007, the laboratory will be reporting an electronic glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimate with each serum creatinine.  This estimate provides information about your patient’s kidney function using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation.  This is an equation developed from a large cohort of patients with kidney disease and is endorsed by the National Kidney Foundation.  The GFR estimate incorporates an ethnicity parameter.  Two values will be reported for each patient, one for African American ethnicity and one value if the patient is not African American.  This estimate will enhance our ability to detect the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).  The National Kidney Foundation has defined stages of chronic kidney disease and these include:

 

CKD Stage 1: GFR ³ 90 ml/min/1.73m2 with kidney damage

CKD Stage 2: GFR 60-89 ml/min/1.73m2 with kidney damage

CKD Stage 3: GFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73m2

CKD Stage 4: GFR 15-29 mL/min/1.73m2

CKD Stage 5: GFR < 15mL/min/1.73m2 or dialysis dependent

 

National Kidney Foundation clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients are available at http://www.kidney.org/professionals/KDOQI/guidelines.cfm.  Patients with CKD Stage 4-5 should be referred for a nephrology consultation.  We look forward to any comments or concerns you may have regarding this new laboratory value. Please contact Linda Awdishu or Dr. Danuta King at lawdishu@ucsd.edu or daking@ucsd.edu.

 

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Linda Awdishu, BScPhm, MAS                                    Danuta King, MD

Manager, UCSD CKD Clinic                                       Medical Director, UCSD CKD Clinic

Pharmacist Specialist, Abdominal Transplantation          UCSD Medical Center

UCSD Medical Center                                                  200 West Arbor Drive,

200 West Arbor Drive,                                                 San Diego, CA 92103-8409

San Diego, CA 92103-8765