values for serum creatinine:
Adult males: 0.8 - 1.4 mg/dl: values are slightly higher in males due to larger muscle mass
Adult females: 0.6 - 1.1 mg/dl: creatinine clearance is increased in pregnancy, resulting in lower serum levels
Children: 0.2 - 1.0 mg/dl: slight increases with age because values are proportional to body mass
A panic value for creatinine is 10 mg/dl in nondialysis patients.
Increased serum creatinine levels are seen in:
Impaired renal function
Chronic nephritis
Urinary tract obstruction
Muscle diseases such as gigantism, acromegaly, and myasthenia gravis
Congestive heart failure
Shock
Decreased creatinine levels may be seen in: the elderly, persons with small stature, decreased muscle mass, or inadequate dietary protein. Muscle atrophy can also result in decreased serum creatinine level. If muscle atrophy is suspected, assessment of serum creatine, an important enzyme necessary for normal muscle function, is done
