Study of the post-equilibrium slope approximation in the calculation of glomerular filtration rate using the 51Cr-EDTA single injection technique

A comparison of methods for calculating the renal clearance of EDTA from the plasma disappearance curve, after a single injection, has been made. Measurements were made on 38 patients, using external monitoring and venous blood sampling techniques, over a period of 24 h after an injection of 100 μCi of 51Cr-EDTA. The results indicate that the period 3 - 6 h after injection is suitable for sampling the post-equilibrium part of the plasma disappearance curve for values of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the range 0 - 140 ml/min. It was also found that, to within the individual measurement errors, the values of the clearance calculated by using the post-equilibrium period only (PES clearance) can be considered to show a constant proportionality to the values calculated by using the entire plasma disappearance curve (total clearance). (author)