URINARY CREATININE (RANDOM / SPOT)

The Urine Creatinine, Random test measures the concentration of creatinine in a urine sample collected at any time of the day.

Creatinine is a waste product produced from the normal breakdown of muscle tissue. It is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and excreted into the urine at a relatively constant rate.

The random urine creatinine is most often used to calculate a ratio with other measured substances (like Albumin or Protein) to account for varying urine concentration.

• Example: In the Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (ACR), the creatinine value normalizes the albumin result. If the urine is very dilute, both the albumin and creatinine values will be low. By using the ratio, the doctor can determine if the albumin leak is truly elevated or just appears low because the overall sample is watery.

2. Estimating Kidney Function

In a clinical setting, urine creatinine is used alongside serum creatinine (blood test) to calculate the Creatinine Clearance or Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which are the most common measures of overall kidney function.