Abstract
Abstract Background Cystatin C is an alternative and adjunct kidney biomarker to creatinine in the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology have called for increased use of cystatin C in the evaluation of kidney function. Our institution brought cystatin C testing in-house in August 2021. The goal of this study was to evaluate the utilization and longitudinal ordering trends of cystatin C within our quaternary care health system. Methods Cystatin C is measured on a Roche cobas® c502 using an assay traceable to IFCC-certified reference material. The electronic health record system (Epic) was queried using Epic SlicerDicer to identify ordering trends within our academic medical center between July 2021 and January 2024. The frequency of unique (one-time) cystatin C orders and concomitant orders with creatinine was also conducted. An in-depth analysis and chart review was performed over a one-month period to evaluate ordering locations, underlying clinical conditions, including previous diagnosis of kidney disease, and correlations between cystatin C and creatinine measurements. Results Between July 2021 and January 2024, 11,577 tests were performed from 8,415 unique patients. Cystatin C orders remained stable since April 2022, with an average 370 orders (363-378) per month. Eighty percent of cystatin C test requests were accompanied with creatinine testing during the same encounter. In a detailed analysis of a one month period, cystatin C testing was primarily performed in patients with an existing diagnosis of kidney disease (66%) and in the evaluation of renal function in patients with a cancer diagnosis (23%). Conclusions There has been sustained adoption of cystatin C by providers at our institution. The majority of orders have occurred in patients with an underlying renal diagnosis, as well as comorbid or chronic conditions that may affect kidney function.
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