Glomerular Filtration Rate Determined by 51 Cr-Edta-Complex: A Practical Method Based upon the Plasma Disappearance Curve Determined from Four Plasma Samples

Abstract

Measurement of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in 20 patients with normal and impaired renal function using a single injection of the indicator substance ⁵¹chromium-EDTA revealed an accurate correlation to the classical method of continuous inulin infusion. An analysis showed that the plasma disappearance curve of the indicator substance on which the mathematical calculation of the clearance is based, may be drawn from only four plasma activity measurements, when the study period is extended over at least four hours. This affords a practical, simple, and reproducible clinical method for determining the GFR.