30th December 2004
Having been on dialysis twice, having a kidney/pancreas transplant and now waiting for another kidney let me give some hinesight.
First Off let me give you the PROPEER definition of BUN and Creatinine
BUN
A blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood that comes from the waste product urea. Urea is formed when protein is broken down in your body. It is produced in the liver and eliminated from your body in urine.
A BUN test is done to estimate how well your kidneys are functioning. If your kidneys are not able to remove urea from the blood normally, your BUN level increases. Heart failure, dehydration, or a diet high in protein can also increase your BUN level. Liver disease or damage can decrease your BUN level, because urea is made in the liver. A decreased BUN level can occur normally in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Normal BUN Level varies from 8-20mg/dl
A high BUN value can indicate kidney injury or disease. Damage can be caused by a variety of conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, that directly affect the kidneys. In addition to direct damage to the kidneys, high BUN levels can be caused by blockage of the urinary tract (by an object such as a kidney stone or tumor) or reduced blood flow to the kidneys caused by dehydration or heart failure.
A high BUN can be caused by medications, such as allopurinol (Alloprin), aminoglycosides (Garamycin), furosemide (Lasix), indomethacin (Indocin), methotrexate (MTX), aspirin, amphotericin B, carbamazepine (Tegretol), vancomycin (Vancocin), propranolol (Inderal), rifampin (Rifadin), spironolactone (Aldactone), tetracyclines, thiazide diuretics, and triamterene (Dyrenium).
A high BUN value may also be caused by a high-protein diet, Addison's disease, tissue damage (such as from severe burns), or from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
A rise in BUN can indicate kidney problems caused by diabetes.
High BUN-to-creatinine ratios occur with sudden (acute) kidney failure, which may be caused by conditions such as shock or severe dehydration. An obstruction in the urinary tract (such as from a kidney stone) can cause an elevated BUN-to-creatinine ratio. A very high BUN-to-creatinine ratio may be caused by bleeding in the digestive tract or respiratory tract.
A high BUN value may be seen with high blood pressure in pregnancy (preeclampsia).
CREATININE
Creatinine and creatinine clearance tests measure the level of the waste product creatinine in your blood and urine. These tests provide information about how well your kidneys are working. Creatine is a substance that forms when food is converted into energy through a process called metabolism. Creatine is broken down into another substance called creatinine, which is filtered out of your blood by the kidneys and then passed out of your body in urine. If your kidneys are damaged and cannot function normally, the amount of creatinine in your urine decreases while its level in your blood increases.
Theres 3 main types of creainine tests: Blood creatinine level, Creatinine Clearence(a 24hr urine colleciton) and I belive a BUN-to-creatinine ratio test.
Normal Blood Creatinine is 0.7-1.3
Normale Creatinine Clearence is 90-140mL/min
After I had my kidney/pancreas transplant in July of 2003 my creatinine was 1.1 and my BUN was 13 on average (Which is VERY good for a transplanted kidney) However, now that my kidney is failing my creatnine is 5.2 and I believe my last BUN was 24 or 25
It is possible that some of your dads meds are causing his high creatinine and BUN levels 2.1/26, or the fact that he has/had a urinary infection as well. And it is also lpossible that he could be starting to develope kidney failure with him getting up in his years. Having his doctor do a BUN-to-creatinine ratio test will help him to better determine what is causing his high numbers.
I hope this helps you some, and feel free to email me at any time with questions. :)
[ please carefully review the posting rules - no emails ]
First Off let me give you the PROPEER definition of BUN and Creatinine
BUN
A blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood that comes from the waste product urea. Urea is formed when protein is broken down in your body. It is produced in the liver and eliminated from your body in urine.
A BUN test is done to estimate how well your kidneys are functioning. If your kidneys are not able to remove urea from the blood normally, your BUN level increases. Heart failure, dehydration, or a diet high in protein can also increase your BUN level. Liver disease or damage can decrease your BUN level, because urea is made in the liver. A decreased BUN level can occur normally in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Normal BUN Level varies from 8-20mg/dl
A high BUN value can indicate kidney injury or disease. Damage can be caused by a variety of conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, that directly affect the kidneys. In addition to direct damage to the kidneys, high BUN levels can be caused by blockage of the urinary tract (by an object such as a kidney stone or tumor) or reduced blood flow to the kidneys caused by dehydration or heart failure.
A high BUN can be caused by medications, such as allopurinol (Alloprin), aminoglycosides (Garamycin), furosemide (Lasix), indomethacin (Indocin), methotrexate (MTX), aspirin, amphotericin B, carbamazepine (Tegretol), vancomycin (Vancocin), propranolol (Inderal), rifampin (Rifadin), spironolactone (Aldactone), tetracyclines, thiazide diuretics, and triamterene (Dyrenium).
A high BUN value may also be caused by a high-protein diet, Addison's disease, tissue damage (such as from severe burns), or from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
A rise in BUN can indicate kidney problems caused by diabetes.
High BUN-to-creatinine ratios occur with sudden (acute) kidney failure, which may be caused by conditions such as shock or severe dehydration. An obstruction in the urinary tract (such as from a kidney stone) can cause an elevated BUN-to-creatinine ratio. A very high BUN-to-creatinine ratio may be caused by bleeding in the digestive tract or respiratory tract.
A high BUN value may be seen with high blood pressure in pregnancy (preeclampsia).
CREATININE
Creatinine and creatinine clearance tests measure the level of the waste product creatinine in your blood and urine. These tests provide information about how well your kidneys are working. Creatine is a substance that forms when food is converted into energy through a process called metabolism. Creatine is broken down into another substance called creatinine, which is filtered out of your blood by the kidneys and then passed out of your body in urine. If your kidneys are damaged and cannot function normally, the amount of creatinine in your urine decreases while its level in your blood increases.
Theres 3 main types of creainine tests: Blood creatinine level, Creatinine Clearence(a 24hr urine colleciton) and I belive a BUN-to-creatinine ratio test.
Normal Blood Creatinine is 0.7-1.3
Normale Creatinine Clearence is 90-140mL/min
After I had my kidney/pancreas transplant in July of 2003 my creatinine was 1.1 and my BUN was 13 on average (Which is VERY good for a transplanted kidney) However, now that my kidney is failing my creatnine is 5.2 and I believe my last BUN was 24 or 25
It is possible that some of your dads meds are causing his high creatinine and BUN levels 2.1/26, or the fact that he has/had a urinary infection as well. And it is also lpossible that he could be starting to develope kidney failure with him getting up in his years. Having his doctor do a BUN-to-creatinine ratio test will help him to better determine what is causing his high numbers.
I hope this helps you some, and feel free to email me at any time with questions. :)
[ please carefully review the posting rules - no emails ]