Evaluation of Kidney Function in Patients with Acute Renal Failure Using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography: A Case Report

Accurate measurement of glomerular function rate (GFR) in the setting of acute renal failure is difficult to achieve with current clinical methods, such as measuring plasma creatinine concentration and 24‐hour urine creatinine clearance. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used to measure GFR directly in a critically ill patient with acute renal failure. This approach involved evaluating the elimination kinetics of nonionic contrast material administered intravenously for radiologic imaging. It required no additional patient exposure to radiographic contrast media and enabled caregivers to determine kidney function accurately in the presence of worsening clinical status and delayed changes in plasma creatinine. This and other methods for more accurate measurement of GFR in patients with acute renal failure may provide the foundation for clinical studies that assess the severity and management of acute renal failure.