Abstract

In acutely ill patients drug doses will often have to be modified depending on the level of renal function. The blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance are the laboratory tests most frequently used to estimate renal function. However, volume, age, injury to muscle, acute renal failure, and factors altering muscle mass affect these parameters. Therefore, baseline and serial measurements are essential in guiding therapy and monitoring renal failure.