Current Status of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Reporting in Korea

Soo-Kyung Kim; Tae-Dong Jeong; Sholhui Park; Young-Wha Lee; Won-Ki Min

doi:10.15263/jlmqa.2019.41.4.201

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Original Article

Lab Med Qual Assur 2019; 41(4): 201-206

Published online December 31, 2019

https://doi.org/10.15263/jlmqa.2019.41.4.201

Current Status of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Reporting in Korea

Soo-Kyung Kim¹, Tae-Dong Jeong¹, Sholhui Park¹, Young-Wha Lee², and Won-Ki Min³

¹Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul; ² Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon; ³ Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to:Tae-Dong Jeong
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, 260 Gonghang-daero, Gangseogu, Seoul 07804, Korea
Tel: +82-2-6986-3386 Fax: +82-2-6986-3389 E-mail: tdjeong@ewha.ac.kr

Received: October 15, 2019; Revised: November 6, 2019; Accepted: November 12, 2019

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

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Abstract

Background:

We aimed to investigate the current status of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reporting in clinical laboratories for the first time in Korea.

Methods:

The eGFR proficiency testing data obtained by the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service (KEQAS) from 2017 to 2018 as a pilot project were used. We investigated the proportion of clinical laboratories reporting eGFR who were participants in the KEQAS general chemistry proficiency testing program. The types of equations for calculating the eGFR in adults and children were assessed. We evaluated whether each participant laboratory calculated the eGFR correctly.

Results:

About 18% and 12% of laboratories were reporting the eGFR with serum creatinine concentrations for adults and children, respectively. The most common equation for calculating the eGFR in adults was the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) 4 variable (isotope dilution mass spectrometry [IDMS]-traceable), followed by the MDRD 4 variable (non-IDMS-traceable) and Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration equation. In children, 9% used the original Schwartz, 4% used the updated Schwartz, and the other laboratories used the same equation as adults. Accurate eGFR was calculated in 76.0%–96.2% of adults and 65.3%–75.0% of children.

Conclusions:

Continuous education is needed to report eGFR in clinical laboratories that measure serum creatinine levels. Clinical laboratories need to report the eGFR in accordance with internationally recommended guidelines.

Keywords: Creatinine, Glomerular filtration rate, Laboratory proficiency testing