Implications of serum creatinine measurements on GFR estimation and vancomycin dosing in children

Different serum creatinine (sCr) assays may obtain different values in the same patient, causing discrepancies in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and sCr-based vancomycin dosing calculations.

To identify potential discrepancies in sCr concentrations obtained by different assays, the compensated Jaffe (sCr-Jaffe) and the enzymatic (sCr-enz), and to compare between the eGFR and vancomycin daily dose, based on these sCr values.

sCr-Jaffe and, sCr-enz concentrations of 890 healthy children, aged 1-18 years, were available from the Canadian Laboratory Initiative in Pediatric Reference Intervals study in Ontario. For each subject, eGFR (eGFR-Jaffe, eGFR-enz) was calculated using the revised Schwartz equation, and vancomycin daily dose (Vdose-Jaffe, Vdose-enz) was calculated using a sCr-based pharmacokinetic model.

Significant, age-related differences were found in sCr concentrations, and in subsequent eGFR and Vdose, between the two assays. In children aged 1-5 years, mean sCr-Jaffe was higher than sCr-enz (44.0 ± 5.0 vs. 27.7 ± 7.3 μmol/L, P < 0.001), leading to lower eGFR-Jaffe (83.2 ± 9.0 vs. 137.9 ± 27.1 mL/min/1.73m2, P < 0.001) and lower Vdose-Jaffe (44.7 ± 2.5 vs. 53.5 ± 5.1 mg/kg/24 h, P < 0.001).

Based on these findings, young children may be at risk for vancomycin under-treatment. Further research is needed to define the more accurate sCr assay in young children treated with renally excreted drugs.