Monday February 15, 1999 - Question 10

A 62-year-old woman weighing 50 kg was admitted to the hospital for possible digoxin toxicity.  Her serum creatinine (SCr) was 3.0 mg/dl and her dosing regimen at home was 0.25 mg of digoxin daily for many months.  The digoxin plasma concentration on admission was reported to be 4.0 ng/ml.  A previous SCr was reported to be 1.2mg/dl.  Her creatinine clearance (ClCr) is estimated to be 15 ml/min.

Which of the following statements regarding the above case is correct?

A. Serum creatinine of 3.0 mg/dl is normal for this patient’s age.
 
B. The rise in SCr is probably not related to the rise in plasma digoxin levels.
 
C. The patient must be taking her medicine incorrectly.
 
D. Creatinine clearance can be used to estimate her kidney function.
 
E. Serum creatinine alone can be used to evaluate this patient’s renal function.
 

Discussion