Objective: To compare the sensitivity of cystatin C and creatinine in detecting decreased glomerular filtration rate.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Setting: Medical intensive care unit at a university hospital.
Patients and participants: Fourteen patients hospitalised in a medical intensive care unit.
Interventions: Cystatin C and creatinine plasmatic levels were measured in 40 blood samples taken with an interval of at least 24 h.
Measurements and results: Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by creatinine clearance using 24-h urine collection and the classical Cockcroft-Gault equation. The ability of cystatin C to detect a glomerular filtration rate under 80 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) was significantly better than that of creatinine ( p<0.05).
Conclusions: Cystatin C, a new plasmatic marker of renal function, could be used to detect renal failure in intensive care in the future.