The kidneys are a pair of organs that are responsible for generating liquid waste that is disposed off by the human body. Liquid waste collects in the form of urine in the urinary bladder. Blood is used to transport different nutrients and substances around the body. When these nutrients are used, there is waste generated. Waste may also be generated from injured or damaged cells. Finally, waste is generated from muscle metabolism as well. All these wastes need to be removed from the blood regularly. Blood therefore flows through the kidneys which are responsible for the process of filtration. One such substance that is filtered by the kidneys is known as creatinine.
Creatinine is a waste product generated by the process of metabolism. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys are capable of filtering out creatinine from the blood and depositing this along with other wastes into the urinary bladder. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, the individual will need to undergo one of many different tests to estimate the rate at which the kidneys are functioning. One such test is the creatinine test. As the name would suggest, the creatinine test is a test used to determine how much creatinine is left over in the blood. If these levels are above the creatinine test normal values, the patient will be diagnosed as suffering from some form of kidney malfunction. There are also other factors that can cause a sudden elevation in the creatinine levels. Keeping these factors in mind, the diagnosis will be made. An individual who suffers from a serious muscular injury may display higher creatinine test results than normal, even if the kidneys are functioning normally.
The creatinine test is a blood test that requires a sample of blood be drawn from the patient. This sample of blood is then sent to a laboratory where it will be analyzed. Following the analysis, the diagnosis for the creatinine test levels will be made. The normal creatinine test range lies between 0.5 and 1.2 milligrams per deciliter of blood. The amount of muscle mass on an individual's body is one of the factors that affects the test results. Muscular individuals will have higher creatinine levels than non muscular individuals. Elderly individuals will have lower muscle mass and will therefore have a lower than normal creatinine test range. The creatinine test can be performed in any laboratory and takes less than a minute to be administered to the patient. Factors such as the creatinine test cost as also the preparations required or the side effects of the test could all be discussed with your doctor.
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