PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Frank Kee
AU  - Elizabeth A Reaney
AU  - A Peter Maxwell
AU  - Damian G Fogarty
AU  - Gerard Savage
AU  - C Christopher Patterson
TI  - Late referral for assessment of renal failure
AID  - 10.1136/jech.2004.026658
DP  - 2005 May 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 386--388
VI  - 59
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/5/386.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/5/386.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2005 May 01; 59
AB  - It has been recommended that adult patients with a serum creatinine above 150 μmol/l should be referred to a nephrologist for specialist assessment. This study ascertained all patients in Northern Ireland with creatinine above this concentration in 2001 (n = 19 286 ) to see if this triggered referral within the subsequent year. After exclusion of those who were already known to a nephrologist and those who had acute renal failure, it was found that younger patients and diabetic patients were more likely to be referred. There was no difference in referral rates between male and female patients. However, only 6.5% of all non-diabetic subjects and 19% of diabetic patients were referred within 12 months after a first increased serum creatinine test.