Beckman Coulter Completes Creatinine Standardization on Instrument Platforms

Beckman Coulter has completed the standardization of its creatinine serum recovery for its instrument platforms and released new software that meets the standardization goals of the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) of the National Institutes of Health (USA).

In response to the NKDEP initiative, Beckman Coulter’s creatinine results for serum samples have been standardized to the internationally accepted isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) reference method. The new standardization will be implemented through a Chemistry Database Software Update Kit, which began shipping to clinical laboratory customers this summer.

"Upon completion of this transition, laboratories can contribute to the more efficient detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease in order to prevent or delay kidney failure and improve patient outcomes," says Jack Zakowski, director of scientific affairs for Beckman Coulter’s Chemistry Systems.

The worldwide Creatinine Standardization Program was established to reduce inter-laboratory variation in creatinine assay calibration, provide more accurate estimates of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and help healthcare providers better identify and treat chronic kidney disease.

Beckman Coulter encourages all its customers to load the new software as soon as possible to ensure timely standardization. The Synchron CX®, LX® and UniCel® systems determine creatinine concentration by means of the Jaffe method, which Beckman Coulter has now standardized for serum samples to the IDMS reference method. Chronic kidney disease is a condition that affects 10 to 20 million people in the United States alone—with many more worldwide—and the incidence rate is increasing. Clinical laboratories have a critical and central role in identifying and monitoring kidney failure to improve patient outcomes.

To learn more about how creatinine standardization will affect your laboratory, Beckman Coulter is offering an online course, titled "Standardization of Creatinine: Reporting eGFR." The webinar aims to help participants understand this important new standardized method of measuring creatinine in serum. To take advantage of this free learning opportunity, visit www.beckmancoulter.com/labquality and select "Personnel," then "Webinars."