A lot of drugs, especially antibiotics and cytotoxic drugs such as vancomycin, carboplatin, digoxin, are metabolised and excreted through the kidneys. When prescribing pharmaceuticals that have a narrow therapeutic window, it becomes exceedingly important to have an accurate understanding of the patients' Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which measures the rate water and dissolved substances are filtered out of the blood per unit time.
The antibiotic drug, vancomycin is an example of a drug that has a narrow therapeutic window, and therefore thorough level monitoring is recommended [1-2]. Too low trough concentrations are associated with both clinical failure and significantly increased risk of resistance. In the other direction, too high concentrations will predict both nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity [3-5]. Cystatin C correlates closely with the mGFR, and cystatin C testing can therefore improve patient treatment. Correct dosing will also create cost savings, due to more effective treatment and shorter recovery time.
Monitoring patient's cystatin C levels can improve patient treatment and shorten the recovery time. Correct dosing can therefore create cost savings, due to more effective treatment.
Want to learn how a hospital network in the US managed to save cost on and shorten length of stay by introducing cystatin C testing as part of vancomycin dosing and treatment. Contact our Product Manager for Cystatin C today:
The Gentian Cystatin C Immunoassay (ERM-DA471/IFCC standardised) is an in vitro diagnostic test for quantitative determination of cystatin C in human serum and plasma
FDA510 (k) cleared and CE-marked
Particle-Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassay (PETIA)
Available for a wide range of clinical chemistry analysers with documented high inter-instrument accuracy [6]