Serum Creatinine Test: Purpose, Preparation, and Results
Creatinine is a byproduct of the digestive process. The body usually discards the creatinine content accumulated in the body through urine. Urine is one of the many modes of the body to eliminate waste products and just like other nitrous products such as ammonia, urea, uric acid, etc., creatinine is also expelled by the body through the urine.
When the kidneys are not as functional, creatinine levels may surge in the body, which shows up in the blood and can be detected by a creatinine serum test. A creatinine serum test is a blood test in which the creatinine levels are measured from the serum part of the blood. High levels of creatinine may indicate possible kidney damage in the body and need to be provided with medical attention as early as possible.
What is Creatinine?
One of the primary functions of the kidney is to purify the blood in the body so that fresh blood can be circulated to the various parts of the body.
The blood takes up all the toxins and waste products from the various parts of the body from each cell and organ and brings it back to the kidney so that the blood can be purified by extracting all the waste material from it.
Once all the wastes are removed, fresh oxygen and nutrients are added to the blood, which is again taken to each and every cell of the body, and this cycle continues. Creatinine is one of the many waste products that the kidney filters out from the blood and eliminates through urine.
Creatinine is an ammonia-based compound that is left over from the breaking down of Creatine Phosphate and some other kinds of protein. The high creatinine levels in the blood signifies that the kidneys are not effectively filtering the compound from the body.
A creatinine serum test is done on the blood sample of the patient, but a creatinine test is also measured from the urine sample simultaneously for a more comprehensive understanding.
Taking a Creatinine Test
Some patients are at high risk for developing creatinine-based issues due to high vulnerability to kidney diseases such as age, alcohol abuse individuals, those who have a meat-based diet, comorbid conditions such as diabetes and cholesterol, making the kidneys weak.
When a patient exhibits signs of kidney damage, such as pain in the lower abdomen, pain in the joints, pain while urinating, swelling of hands and feet, etc., it may signify kidney-related issues due to high creatinine levels in the body.
In such scenarios, a doctor may order a creatinine serum test and a creatinine urine test so that they may understand how the kidney is performing. Creatinine serum test price is usually below Rs 500 and may be higher or lower based on the city and the lab. Normal creatinine levels for men is between 0.56 to 1.35mg/dL and 0.4 to 1.2mg/dL for women.
To prepare for the test, a patient may require to fast for about 8hrs before they can take the test. Urine tests may require samples over 24 hours, but serum tests may only need a small vial of blood. The patient may have to abstain from meat, alcohol and other kinds of heavy food a few days before the test. Creatine supplements are also to be stopped before taking the test for better results.
