A creatinine blood test checks the level of creatinine in the kidneys to ensure they are functioning normally or to check for diseases. It requires a blood sample and fasting for at least eight hours. Doctors may also order a BUN test. Annual checkups are recommended for kidney health.
A creatinine blood test is a blood test that is done to check the level of creatinine in the kidneys. Creatinine is the waste product of creatine, which supplies energy to skeletal muscles. Blood work is done to see if a person’s kidneys are functioning normally or to check the condition of the kidney of a person who has developed a disease. A creatinine blood test is also done to ensure that a person taking medicines that can damage the kidneys is spared such damage.
Doctors sometimes order another blood test called a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test to be done along with the creatinine blood test to see if the BUN-to-creatinine ratio is above or below the normal range, which usually they range from 10 to 1 to 20 to 1. A higher-than-normal ratio could be the result of decreased blood flow to the kidneys due to congestive heart failure or dehydration. A lower than normal ratio, on the other hand, could be caused by malnutrition or liver disease caused by a decrease in the production of urea in the body.
Conducting a creatinine blood test requires a blood sample that is drawn from a vein in a person’s arm by a health professional, usually a medical technologist. The medical technician will wrap a rubber band tightly around the person’s upper arm to stop blood flow and cause the veins under the band to swell. This will make it easier for you to insert a needle that will draw blood into the syringe barrel when you pull the plunger. After removing the needle from the patient’s arm, the medical technician will transfer the blood sample into a vial and take it to the laboratory for analysis.
A person who will have their creatinine blood tested must fast for at least eight hours before the test. This means that nothing can be taken by mouth from the time the fast begins until the blood test is complete. A person should not fast for more than 12 hours; this will result in the test being canceled because excessive fasting will produce unreliable test results. Excessive fasting could also cause hypoglycemia, a condition in which blood sugar becomes too low to provide the energy needed to perform an activity. People taking the test, therefore, should avoid excessive fasting to avoid delays in the test.
Doctors urge every person to get an annual checkup to keep their kidneys and other vital organs healthy. Some diseases can cause total kidney failure, which could lead to death. This can be avoided through proper health care. A friendly reminder from doctors: prevention is better than cure, always.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
