Serum Creatinine Concentration (Quantitative)
This test measures the amount of creatinine, a waste product from muscle metabolism, in your blood serum. It helps assess how well your kidneys are filtering blood.
["Kidney function check via creatinine levels."]
Key facts at a glance
- LOINC
- 49195-1
- Short code
- CALIFVIGG
- Synonyms
- CEV IgG Ser-aCnc
- Category
- chemistry
- Sample
- serum
- Container
- Serum separator tube (SST) or red-top tube
- Units
- N/A
- Ref low
- 0
- Ref high
- 1
- Fasting
- false
- Population
- adult
- Sex
- all
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Method
- Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)
- CPT
- 86651
- SNOMED
- 122300009
- Specimen volume
- 1-2 mL serum (minimum 0.5 mL)
- Stability
- Room temperature: 8 hours; Refrigerated (2-8°C): 7 days; Frozen (-20°C or below): 30 days; avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles
- Hemolysis max
- 100
- Lipemia max
- 100
- Icterus max
- 50
- TAT
- 48–168 hours
- Order
- routine
Why Is This Test Done?
Your doctor may order this test to evaluate kidney function, monitor chronic kidney disease, detect early kidney problems, or check for conditions affecting muscle breakdown (e.g., rhabdomyolysis). It’s often used alongside other tests like blood urea nitrogen (BUN) to assess kidney health.
What Does a Result Mean?
Higher-than-normal levels may indicate reduced kidney function, dehydration, or conditions that increase muscle breakdown. Lower-than-normal levels could suggest overhydration or muscle wasting. Results are interpreted in relation to your overall health and other tests.
How Is This Test Performed?
A blood sample is drawn from a vein, usually in your arm. The sample is sent to a lab where it’s analyzed to measure creatinine concentration using a standardized method.
What Are Common Causes of Abnormal Results?
Elevated creatinine levels may be caused by kidney disease, dehydration, severe muscle injury, or conditions like diabetes or heart failure. Low levels might result from overhydration, liver disease, or certain medications.
Reference range
Negative: <1:10 titer; Positive: ≥1:10 titerN/A
No special patient preparation required. Specimen collection may coincide with acute phase of illness (within first week of symptom onset) and convalescent phase (2-4 weeks later) for seroconversion confirmation.
Clinical interpretation
How abnormal results are interpreted and what conditions they suggest.
◆Associated findings1
Short name
Serum Creatinine
Frequently asked questions
Why might my creatinine level be higher than expected?
How often should I get this test?
Does diet affect creatinine levels?
Sources
- 1
- 2Lab Tests OnlineSource
- 3
Click any link to access the full source. PubMed Central (PMC) links provide free full-text access.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have about a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed August 15, 2026. · Read our editorial policy