[Evaluation of glomerular filtration rate in clinical practice]

Abstract

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the most frequently used parameter to evaluate the renal function. GFR may be estimated with serum creatinine, creatinine clearance based on 24 hours urine collection or Cockcroft formula. All these methods have bias. Other approaches have thus been proposed. The limitations and advantages of isotopic methods and recent mathematical approaches (MDRD formula) are reviewed.