title: [An end to routine urea determinations].
abstract: When information regarding kidney function is sought, the laboratory is often requested to measure both creatinine and urea. In contrast to creatinine, however, blood urea is not an adequate measure of GFR. Therefore measurement of urea in general does not contribute to the problem solving process and merely increases expenditure. In one large hospital the routine requests for measurement of urea, amounting to approximately 2500 per month, were studied. It could be shown that these rarely contributed to the diagnosis. It is concluded that, in line with the efforts to decrease the costs of health care, urea should only be measured in selected cases.
authors.affiliation: Afd. Klinische Chemie, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Utrecht.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van Rijn
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hené
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Struyvenberg
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000191:economics; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014508:Urea
vernacular_title: Het mes in de ureumbepaling.