Description
The BUN/Creatinine Ratio is a calculated value derived from two standard blood tests: Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and Creatinine. Both are waste products filtered from your blood by the kidneys.
While looking at BUN and Creatinine levels individually provides valuable information about overall kidney function, looking at the ratio between them gives doctors deeper clues as to why the kidneys might not be working optimally.
It is particularly useful for distinguishing between kidney dysfunction caused by external factors, such as severe dehydration, heart failure, or gastrointestinal bleeding (which often cause a high ratio), versus damage occurring within the kidney tissue itself (which often results in a normal or low ratio with elevated individual levels). It is a key tool in differential diagnosis for renal health.
