The BUN/Creatinine Ratio test contains 1 test with 5 biomarkers.
Description: A BUN/Creatinine ratio test is a blood test that measures levels of Urea Nitrogen and Creatinine in your blood and is useful in the diagnosis of renal disease.
Also Known As: Urea Nitrogen and Creatinine Ratio test, BUN test, Urea test, Urea Nitrogen test, Creat test, Blood Creatinine Test, Serum Creatinine Test
Collection Method: Blood Draw
Specimen Type: Serum
Test Preparation: No preparation required
When is a BUN Creatinine Ratio test ordered?
BUN is a component of the BMP and CMP, two categories of widely-used tests:
- as part of a regular health examination
- prior to beginning the use of specific pharmacological therapy, determine how well the kidneys are functioning.
- When a patient who is critically ill visits the emergency room or is admitted to the hospital
When kidney problems are suspected during a hospital stay, BUN is frequently ordered along with creatinine or a renal panel. Kidney dysfunction can show several indications and symptoms, such as:
- fatigue, inability to focus, poor appetite, or difficulty sleeping
- Swelling or puffiness, especially in the face, wrists, abdomen, thighs, or ankles or around the eyes
- Foamy, bloody, or coffee-colored urine
- a reduction in the urine's volume
- problems urinating, such as a burning sensation or an unusual discharge, or a change in frequency, particularly at night
- discomfort in the middle of the back, below the ribs, and next to the kidneys
- elevated blood pressure
BUN may also be required for:
- Patients with long-term illnesses or conditions like diabetes, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction should have regular kidney function checks.
- monitoring renal function and treatment at frequent intervals in individuals with known kidney disease
- Monitoring kidney function both before and after taking specific medications
- When a CT scan is anticipated, furthermore to a creatinine
- periodically to check on the efficiency of the dialysis
During a health examination, a routine metabolic panel that includes creatinine may be ordered. It might be prescribed if a patient is critically ill or if a doctor has reason to believe that their kidneys aren't functioning properly. Kidney dysfunction can show several indications and symptoms, such as:
- fatigue, inability to focus, poor appetite, or difficulty sleeping
- Swelling or puffiness, especially in the face, wrists, abdomen, thighs, or ankles, or around the eyes
- Foamy, bloody, or coffee-colored urine
- a reduction in the urine's volume
- problems urinating, such as a burning sensation or an unusual discharge, or a change in frequency, particularly at night
- discomfort in the middle of the back, below the ribs, and next to the kidneys
- elevated blood pressure
When a person has a known kidney ailment or a condition that could impair kidney function, a creatinine blood test may be prescribed along with a BUN test, urine albumin, and other tests on a regular basis. When a CT scan is anticipated, before and throughout some medication regimens, as well as before and after dialysis, both BUN and creatinine may be requested to check the efficacy of treatments.
What does a BUN Creatinine Ratio test check for?
When protein is broken down into its constituent parts in the liver, urea is produced as a waste product. Ammonia is created during this process, and it is later changed into the less harmful waste product urea. This examination counts the urea nitrogen levels in the blood.
Ammonia and urea both contain nitrogen as an ingredient. Because urea contains nitrogen and because the body excretes excess nitrogen via urea/urea nitrogen, the terms urea and urea nitrogen are sometimes used interchangeably. The liver releases urea into the blood, which travels to the kidneys where it is removed from the circulation and discharged as urine. Since this is a continuous process, urea nitrogen levels in the blood are typically low and steady.
The majority of illnesses or ailments that affect the liver or kidneys have the potential to have an impact on the blood's urea content. Urea concentrations in the blood will increase if the liver produces more urea or if the kidneys are not functioning properly and are having trouble removing wastes from the blood. BUN values may decrease if severe liver illness or injury prevents the synthesis of urea.
Muscles release creatinine as a waste product after breaking down a substance called creatine. The kidneys eliminate creatinine from the body by filtering nearly all of it from the blood and releasing it into the urine. The creatinine level in the blood and/or urine is determined by this test.
The process that creates the energy required to contract muscles includes creatine. The body produces both creatine and creatinine at a fairly steady rate. Blood levels are typically a good indication of how well the kidneys are functioning since the kidneys filter almost all of the creatinine from the blood and release it into the urine. The amount created is influenced by a person's size and muscular mass. As a result, men's creatinine levels will be a little bit greater than those of women and children.
Calculations that are used to assess kidney function can be done using data from a blood creatinine test in conjunction with data from other tests, including a 24-hour urine creatinine test.
Lab tests often ordered with a BUN Creatinine Ratio test:
- Urine Protein
- eGFR
- Creatinine Clearance
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Basic Metabolic Panel
- Cystatin C
- Renal Panel
- Urinalysis
- Microalbumin
- Beta-2 Microglobin
Conditions where a BUN Creatinine Ratio test is recommended:
- Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Proteinuria
How does my health care provider use a BUN Creatinine Ratio test?
The creatinine test and blood urea nitrogen tests are primarily used to assess kidney function under various conditions, aid in the diagnosis of kidney illness, and keep track of persons who have either acute or chronic renal failure or dysfunction. When requested as a component of a renal panel, basic metabolic panel, or comprehensive metabolic panel, it may also be used to assess a person's overall health state.
When protein is digested in the liver, urea is produced as a waste product. The liver releases urea into the blood, which travels to the kidneys where it is removed from the circulation and discharged as urine. Since this is a continuous process, urea nitrogen levels in the blood are typically low and steady. However, the level of urea in the blood will increase if the kidneys become diseased or damaged and are unable to remove waste products from the blood.
The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that are situated on the right and left sides of the back at the base of the ribcage. They include around a million nephrons, which are very small blood filtering organs. Blood is continuously filtered via a glomerulus, a tiny collection of looping blood arteries, in each nephron. Water and tiny molecules can pass through the glomerulus, while blood cells and bigger molecules are retained. Each glomerulus has a little tube attached to it that gathers the fluid and molecules that flow through it and reabsorbs what the body can use. Urine is created by the leftover waste.
Creatinine and BUN tests may be performed to monitor for renal dysfunction and the efficacy of treatment if the results are abnormal or if a person has an underlying condition known to impact the kidneys, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Before some procedures, such a CT scan, that can call for the use of medications that can harm the kidneys, such as creatinine and BUN tests in the blood may also be prescribed to assess renal function.
What do my BUN Creatinine Ratio test results mean?
BUN levels that are higher indicate poor renal health. This could be brought on by failure, injury, or acute or chronic renal disease. A condition that reduces blood flow to the kidneys, such as congestive heart failure, shock, stress, a recent heart attack, or serious burns, as well as conditions that impede urine flow or dehydration, may also be to blame.
When there is excessive protein breakdown, a considerable rise in the amount of protein in the diet, or gastrointestinal bleeding, BUN values may be increased.
Low BUN levels are rare and typically not reason for alarm. The BUN test is not typically used to diagnose or monitor these disorders, but they may appear in severe liver illness, malnutrition, and occasionally when a person is overhydrated.
BUN values may be normal even in the presence of substantial malfunction in the other kidney if one kidney is fully functional.
Blood creatinine levels that are higher than normal point to renal disease or other disorders that have an impact on kidney function. These may consist of:
For instance, infections or autoimmune illnesses can cause kidney blood vessels to enlarge or become damaged.
- infection of the kidneys with bacteria
- death of kidney cells brought on by chemicals or medications, for instance, in the tiny tubes of the kidneys
- Urinary tract obstruction can be brought on by prostate disease, kidney stones, or other conditions.
- reduced renal blood flow brought on by shock, dehydration, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, or diabetes-related problems
Although they are uncommon, low blood creatinine levels are often not a cause for alarm. They can be observed in diseases that cause a loss of muscular mass.
As part of a creatinine clearance test, 24-hour urine creatinine levels are compared to blood levels.
There are no established reference ranges for single, random urine creatinine values. They are typically used in conjunction with other exams to compare levels of other chemicals detected in urine. The urine albumin test, the urine albumin/creatinine ratio, and the urine protein test are a few examples.
We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.
