Abstract

Awareness and Application of Creatinine Clearance/eGFR in Non-Nephrology Doctors

Introduction: We conducted this study to determine the awareness of usage of estimated GFR/creatinine clearance formulas while dealing with patients in various wards and outpatient departments of different tertiary hospitals in Lahore in doctors who are not working or trained in nephrology, it was done by using a questionnaire in between January 2019 to May 2019. It was found that good percentage of doctor is not using basic formulas and need education by fellow nephrology colleagues for basic patient management, drug dosing, and referral. Objective: To study the awareness and usage of creatinine clearance calculations in doctors not trained in nephrology. Study design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Methodology: The cross-sectional observational study was conducted. A questionnaire was designed which included questions about knowledge of estimated GFR/creatinine clearance, calculation methods, use of these formulas while dealing with patients for defining and diagnosing AKI and CKD, medicine dosage adjustment according to creatinine clearance and referral to nephrologists. Results: A total of 170 doctors working in different specialties were contacted and all of them filled questionnaire. 56 (32.9%) doctors answered that they know and calculate eGFR in routine practice while 114 (67.1%) were not performing eGFR while encountering patients. 80 (47.1%) were confident in staging chronic kidney disease and 90 (52.9%) were unable to stage chronic kidney disease on basis of eGFR. In routine patients dose and adjustment according to GFR was documented by 39 (22.9%) doctors and 131 (77.1%) doctors were not practicing dose adjustments for different medicines after calculating GFR. Referral to nephrologist was being done 99 (58.2%) doctors and 71 (41.8%) were not referring patients to nephrologists. Conclusion: Several considerable challenges remain regarding CKD and AKI early diagnosis and management and referral in Pakistan including inadequate knowledge and training systems, and needs education in this regard. 

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