Re: Bun and Creatinine Readings

[Guest guest]

That does sound very grim and I can completely sympathize with your

feelings about it. Sometimes it seems like the patient has the least

amount of input about how to treat themselves and the medical

community treats you as if you were just another patient.

The BUN numbers we were concerned about were when we got close to

renal failure. First they said if it got over 100 we would have to do

the transplant, but then at 69 we had to do dialysis. It isn't quite

cut and dried. There are other contributing factors, one being how

well the patient feels.

The creatinine was 8.5 when my husband went on dialysis. They had

told him he'd completely collapse at 9.0...he was feeling ok

(relatively) at 8.2 or so, but started to have fainting spells, so

that's when he went on dialysis. (btw - post transplant it's 1.4!).

I sure hope they figure something out because it doesn't seem like

you can go around indefinitely with this situation...when I told the

nurse in November that my husband wasn't going to make it to December

she said he'd make it for 3 months. I was like 'look at the numbers!'

But no matter what, we made it, and if you are your own advocate you

will too.

All the best!

>

> In early November I had a CT scan as part of a annual Urological

work

> up. The Urologists in this area have stopped using IVP and

loopogram

> Xray's in favor of CT scans. I got a good report on the Urinary

> Tract, just a small cyst on the left kidney. The shocking part of

the

> results is I have a Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or AAA.

>

> In seeking treatment for this potentially fatal situation more

tests were

> run, including a sonogram and special CT scan. So, I have had

contrast dye

> infused three times. The next test was to have been a

arteriogram. I went

> to the hospital for pre-procedure tests on a Monday. The

arteriogram was

> scheduled for the following Friday. On Thursday they called an

told me

> they had to cancel the test because I failed the kidney function

test. A

> days later I found my BUN tested as 42 and the Creatinine was 1.7 a

ratio

> of 24.7. They said there was no way my kidneys could stand the

amount of

> contrast dye used in a arteriogram.

>

> So now I am waiting to see a Nephrologist. My surgeon Siam he

thought such

> high readings could indicate the early stages of renal

> failure. Unfortunately this all occurred before Christmas and the

first

> appointment I could get with a recommended Nephrologist is January

17th. I

> also discovered that test should not be done on a fasting basis as

I was

> instructed to do. So I arranged another blood test through my

family

> doctor. It was high too and I was well hydrated prior to the test.

That

> time it was not much better. BUN was 37 and Creatinine was 1.3 for

a ratio

> of 28.4.

>

> Now I seem to be between a rock and a hard place. They will not

schedule

> surgery to repair the aneurysm until they see the results of a

arteriogram

> and I can't pass the kidney function test to get the arteriogram.

It is

> bad enough knowing I am walking around with a 6 CM aneurysm which

could

> burst and there is only a 10% survivor factor if that happens and

the

> possibility of kidney failure on the horizon.

>

> Are any of you familiar with BUN/Creat ratios as to what is normal

and what

> might indicate kidney failure?

>

>

>

> Austin in Texas

[Guest guest]

This is an issue that your doctors will have to work out somehow. What's

more risky, the dye or the aneurysm?

I don't much about aneurysms, but I can tell you that a BUN/creatinine ratio

isn't a very reliable method of determining kidney function. BUN, or more

commonly nowadays called just urea, varies too much. GFR is how you assess

kidney function. BUN is useful too, but it has to be taken in context.

Pierre

Bun and Creatinine Readings

>

> In early November I had a CT scan as part of a annual Urological work

> up. The Urologists in this area have stopped using IVP and loopogram

> Xray's in favor of CT scans. I got a good report on the Urinary

> Tract, just a small cyst on the left kidney. The shocking part of the

> results is I have a Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or AAA.

>

> In seeking treatment for this potentially fatal situation more tests were

> run, including a sonogram and special CT scan. So, I have had contrast

dye

> infused three times. The next test was to have been a arteriogram. I

went

> to the hospital for pre-procedure tests on a Monday. The arteriogram was

> scheduled for the following Friday. On Thursday they called an told me

> they had to cancel the test because I failed the kidney function test. A

> days later I found my BUN tested as 42 and the Creatinine was 1.7 a ratio

> of 24.7. They said there was no way my kidneys could stand the amount of

> contrast dye used in a arteriogram.

>

> So now I am waiting to see a Nephrologist. My surgeon Siam he thought

such

> high readings could indicate the early stages of renal

> failure. Unfortunately this all occurred before Christmas and the first

> appointment I could get with a recommended Nephrologist is January 17th.

I

> also discovered that test should not be done on a fasting basis as I was

> instructed to do. So I arranged another blood test through my family

> doctor. It was high too and I was well hydrated prior to the test. That

> time it was not much better. BUN was 37 and Creatinine was 1.3 for a ratio

> of 28.4.

>

> Now I seem to be between a rock and a hard place. They will not schedule

> surgery to repair the aneurysm until they see the results of a arteriogram

> and I can't pass the kidney function test to get the arteriogram. It is

> bad enough knowing I am walking around with a 6 CM aneurysm which could

> burst and there is only a 10% survivor factor if that happens and the

> possibility of kidney failure on the horizon.

>

> Are any of you familiar with BUN/Creat ratios as to what is normal and

what

> might indicate kidney failure?

>

>

>

> Austin in Texas

>

>

>

>

>

> To edit your settings for the group, go to our Yahoo Group

> home page:

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iga-nephropathy/

> Visit our companion website at www.igan.ca

>

>

[Guest guest]

When I opened my mail, I discovered Pierre L \(groups\) said:

>This is an issue that your doctors will have to work out somehow. What's

>more risky, the dye or the aneurysm?

That is a good question. An aneurysm could rupture suddenly at any time.

Unless one is already in or very close to a hospital which has the staff

and tools to repair, there is little chance of survival. Blood pressure

can drop to ZERO in a half hour.

>I don't much about aneurysms, but I can tell you that a BUN/creatinine ratio

>isn't a very reliable method of determining kidney function. BUN, or more

>commonly nowadays called just urea, varies too much. GFR is how you assess

>kidney function. BUN is useful too, but it has to be taken in context.

Thanks for telling me about GFR. I will bring that up when I see the

Nephrologist. I went to a web site at

<http://www.kidney.org/professionals/doqi/guidelineindex.cfm> and used the

calculate for EGFR. Based on those results I may have a problem. I will

ask for the full test rather than just the calculated one. My scores using

the calculator is about 50 averaging my last three Creatinine

readings. That is not good.

Austin in Texas

[Guest guest]

I just had to weigh in on this one...

Everything said is true. I won't profess to be any kind of expert

about abdominal aneurysms, but I did the usual library research when two

people close to me were diagnosed. As succinctly pointed out. " BP

can drop to zero " .

That being said, there are several other factors, however, that may make is

easier (or more difficult!) to evaluate the situation. (1) Is surgery an

option? Depending upon location, some aneurysms can be surgically repaired.

A friend's mum had the surgery performed roughly 10 years ago and has been

stable ever since.

As Pierre indicated, this is an issue for the docs.

Cy

Re: Bun and Creatinine Readings

> When I opened my mail, I discovered Pierre L \(groups\) said:

> >This is an issue that your doctors will have to work out somehow. What's

> >more risky, the dye or the aneurysm?

>

> That is a good question. An aneurysm could rupture suddenly at any time.

> Unless one is already in or very close to a hospital which has the staff

> and tools to repair, there is little chance of survival. Blood pressure

> can drop to ZERO in a half hour.

>

> >I don't much about aneurysms, but I can tell you that a BUN/creatinine

ratio

> >isn't a very reliable method of determining kidney function. BUN, or

more

> >commonly nowadays called just urea, varies too much. GFR is how you

assess

> >kidney function. BUN is useful too, but it has to be taken in context.

>

> Thanks for telling me about GFR. I will bring that up when I see the

> Nephrologist. I went to a web site at

> <http://www.kidney.org/professionals/doqi/guidelineindex.cfm> and used the

> calculate for EGFR. Based on those results I may have a problem. I will

> ask for the full test rather than just the calculated one. My scores using

> the calculator is about 50 averaging my last three Creatinine

> readings. That is not good.

>

>

> Austin in Texas

>

>

>

>

>

> To edit your settings for the group, go to our Yahoo Group

> home page:

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iga-nephropathy/

> Visit our companion website at www.igan.ca

>

>