title: The value of the amylase/creatinine clearance ratio in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Acute pancreatitis usually confronts the clinician with a difficult diagnostic task. For years, the primary laboratory diagnostic tests were the serum and urine amylase and the serum lipase determinations. Recent studies have introduced the concept of the amylase/creatinine clearance ratio as a means of increasing the specificity of the laboratory diagnosis. This paper reviews the laboratory evaluation of acute pancreatitis with emphasis on the rationale, derivation, and specificity of the amylase/creatinine clearance ratio.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000465:Algorithms; D000681:Amylases / Q000652:urine*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine; D000681:Amylases