Hello, I'd like to ask two questions:
1) I've just read the article by Dr. Jordan Weinstein titled "What is the importance of the albumin-to-creatinine ratio".
I would like to know why the albumin-creatinine ratio is considered an alternative to a 24-hour urine protein. I understand the explanation that the albumin-creatinine ratio cancels out variations in concentration of the urine, but why would a ratio be equivalent to an absolute amount? The albumin-creatinine ratio divides the concentration of albumin in a spot urine sample by the concentration of creatinine in the same sample. Once you divide these two values, you end up with a ratio, not the absolute amount of albumin in the spot urine sample. The ratio will be lower than the actual amount of albumin in that sample. Why is this ratio equivalent to the absolute amount of albumin in a 24-hour urine sample?
2) Are there any laboratory tests (blood tests) that can be used to differentiate Acute Kidney Injury from Chronic Kidney failure? In both cases, I suppose the creatinine, BUN, and eGFR would be abnormal, right? If that is correct, what blood tests can be used to differentiate one from the other?
Thanks.
Carl.