August 19, 2005
Other
Question from New Jersey, USA:
Just one month before he was diagnosed with diabetes, in December 2004, my son had routine blood work. Everything came out perfect, including the glucose, except for creatinine and bun/creatinine ratio. The doctor said not to worry about it but, from the diabetes perspective, I know look at it differently. His creatinine was slightly lower, 0.4, then the reference range (0.5-1.4), and his BUN/creatinine ratio slightly higher, 32.5, while the range reference for the laboratory is (6.0-25.0). Should I do the blood work again? Is he at risk? Should I approach the subject again with the endocrinologist? Is there something we can change in his diet or activity?
Answer:
A low creatinine is typically not a concern. The BUN/creatinine ratio becomes a less reliable ratio when the creatinine is low; this ratio is typically used to determine if a child may be dehydrated.
Your son’s laboratory values do not appear concerning. He shouldn’t need to be retested based on those values.
MSB
