Resolved question:
My 4 year son did medical blood test a year ago, BUN was fine at 12, creatinine was fine at 0.30 but together they are considered high at 40. What could that mean?
Also should note he is muscular, tall for his age and eats high protein diet but this should affect BUN not creatinine I assumed.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Pediatrician
Dear parent,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I can understand your concerns.
BUN and creatinine, stand alone have different interpretation and when combined together as BUN/ creatinine ratio, they have an altogether different meaning.
This ratio determines intravascular volume status. In your child's case, it simply means that he probably had mild dehydration at the time of testing. Mild prerenal azotemia may be corrected by just increasing oral fluids.
Ensure your son gets adequate fluids every day. At least a litre of water a day, approximately three to four glasses per day.
A small query from my side. You mentioned that this test was obtained approximately a year ago. Why did you not seek advice earlier? Interpreting a BUN:creatinine ratio obtained around a year back is not very useful.
Regards
Dr. Saptharishi L G
At the time of test doctor told me it was fine, I wanted a second opinion after getting the copy of the results today for a new pediatrician.. Does it matter that 8 months later a urine analysis found creatinine level in urine to be elevated as well? Could this be him not drinking enough water or having a high protein diet? Thank you for your help!
Dear parent,
I can understand. When it comes to kids, even small aberrations from normalcy can disturb our peace of mind.
Regarding the elevated urine creatinine values, it could be again due to various factors. As you mentioned, it could be explained by high protein in his meal in the 48 hours prior to testing or due to his urine being excessively concentrated due to decreased fluid intake or physical exertion and sweating.
There could be other factors related to the time of the day when sample was collected and many more. Moreover, the normal value ranges for urine creatinine are themselves not very well established for children.