Glomeruli are tiny ball-shaped structures in your kidneys that help filter blood and prevent the loss of valuable substances, such as blood cells and proteins. Your serum (blood) creatinine level can also be combined with your age, weight, and gender to evaluate your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In addition, since creatinine is usually removed from the blood at a constant rate, blood creatinine levels can be used as a standard by which doctors can compare other urine or blood tests. The combination of blood and urine samples can be used to evaluate a creatine clearance-how effectively your kidneys filter small molecules, such as creatinine, from your blood. Sometimes individuals are asked to provide a 24-hour urine sample for further assessment.

Other conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can also cause elevated creatinine levels. Increased blood creatinine levels may indicate an increase in lupus involvement of the kidney. Creatinine levels are measured by taking a sample of blood from your vein then, the concentration of creatinine in your blood is compared to a standard amount for your age and sex. Creatinine is formed at a constant rate in the body and excreted by the kidneys, so by evaluating the amount of creatinine in your blood, your doctor can determine how efficiently your kidneys are working. Creatinine: Creatinine is produced by your muscles as they breakdown creatine, a substance involved in muscle contraction.The creatinine blood test and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test are used to assess kidney function in people with lupus kidney disease (nephritis). Your doctor will counsel you regarding the results of your personal blood work and laboratory tests. The information below is meant to provide an overview of these tests. Usually, it consists of about 7-25 tests. A blood chemistry panel is another common test used to evaluate a variety of components.

Normal bun range for adults