title: Transcutaneous renal function monitor: precision during unsteady hemodynamics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospital acquired renal dysfunction, most commonly caused by renal hypoperfusion, dramatically increases mortality in intensive care patients. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is rapidly altered during renal hypoperfusion, and a more rapid means of GFR measurement may prompt institution of renal-specific therapy. We hypothesized that a transcutaneous renal function monitor can rapidly and accurately assess acute changes in GFR within a time frame much shorter than the 2-4 hours currently available.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a prospective determination of the capability to measure GFR transcutaneously. In three different studies, concurrent transcutaneous measurement of GFR, using the rate of disappearance of 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), was compared by correlation and standard deviation (SD) to reference standards of DTPA plasma clearance, serum inulin clearance, or serum creatinine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Continuous transcutaneous clearance (TC) measurement correlated with standard DTPA plasma clearance techniques (r = 0.93). Acute pharmacologically induced changes in GFR are detectable by TC measurement within 12-20 min, a time interval significantly affected by the data acquisition interval. Excess patient movement in the ICU patients created clearance artifacts in 50% of clearance traces. Retrospective analysis of ICU patient data reveal TC measurements are 93% specific and 92% sensitive for serum creatinine levels in critically ill patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TC monitoring provides prompt indication of directional changes in GFR and may provide the clinician warning of inadequate resuscitation. Prospective analysis of the specificity, sensitivity, and TC guided renal-specific resuscitation is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, The Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1009, USA.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Scuderi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D004369:Pentetic Acid