Assessment of creatinine clearance in intensive care patients

Assessment of creatinine clearance (CC) in ICU patients was compared using three methods. The reference method (CC 24 h) used measurements of serum creatinine and urinary creatinine after collection of urine over a 24-h period. The other two methods were predictive methods: the Kampmann nomogram and the formula developed by Gault and Cockcroft. The two predictive methods correlated well with one another. Correlation between the predictive and the reference methods was poor or absent. A discriminant analysis revealed that measurement of urinary creatinine was a major factor in CC estimation. In conclusion, the reference method of CC assessment is preferred to obtain a reliable estimation of glomerular filtration rate in ICU patients.