On Tuesday March 1, the Clinical Laboratory and UF Health Pathology Laboratories, in partnership with the Division of Nephrology, will switch the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for individuals 18 or older from the
current 4-part MDRD calculation to the new 2021 CKD-EPI formula. This latter calculation does not include a race/ethnicity factor and can report numerical values above 60 mL/min/1. 73m2
This change is based on national recommendations by a Task Force from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as well as the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) that was formed in
2020 in response to a national call for re-evaluation of the use of race in clinical algorithms. After working on it for almost a year, they recommended the nationwide adoption of the 2021
CKD-EPI creatinine eGFR equation which is refit to estimate kidney function without a race variable (1 ). This change is meant to enable all of us to move towards a more consistent
approach of diagnosing kidney disease that is independent of race in an effort to advance health equity and social justice.
The calculation can be viewed on the NKF website
https://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdogi/gfr calculator
1) Delgado C, et al. Am J Kidney Dis. 2022 Feb;79(2):268-288.e1. doi:
10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.08.009. Epub 2021 Sep 23. P.MID: 34563581.
Amir Kazory, M.D., FASN, FACC
Professor and Chief, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine
Neil Harris MBChB, MD, FCAP
Clinical Professor, Core Laboratory Medical Director
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Maximo J. Marin MD, FCAP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Associate Core Laboratory, Medical Director; Section Chief: Chemistry
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Ericka J Olgaard, DO, MBA, FCAP
Clinical Associate Professor, Vice Chair For System Integration, Medical Director of UF Health Pathology Laboratories
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Kenneth H. Rand, M.D., FCAP
CLIA and Microbiology Medical Director, UF Health Shands, Department Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Sincerely,
Ericka Olgaard
Director, UF Health Pathology Laboratories