What is the difference between eGFR and creatinine clearance?

The CKD-EPI eGFR is normalised to a standard 1.73 m² body surface area and is what guidelines use to describe kidney function. Cockcroft-Gault estimates creatinine clearance in mL/min from age, weight, sex, and creatinine, and is shown here because many drug labels were validated against it.

Can I use the eGFR for drug dosing?

No — the eGFR is normalised to 1.73 m² and should not be used directly for renally-cleared drug dosing. For dosing, follow the product label; the Cockcroft-Gault value is shown as context only, and the tool recommends no dose.

Does an eGFR below 60 mean chronic kidney disease?

Not on its own. Staging CKD requires a reduced eGFR (or a marker of kidney damage) to persist beyond three months, together with clinical correlation. The G-category shown is a descriptive label, not a diagnosis.

Is it valid for children?

No. Both equations here are for adults 18 and older. Children need a paediatric equation such as the bedside Schwartz formula.

Does any of the data I enter leave my browser?

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored. The print option produces a clean worksheet you can save as a PDF.

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eGFR & creatinine clearance calculator

Estimate kidney function from a single serum creatinine: the 2021 race-free CKD-EPI eGFR with its KDIGO category, plus the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance for dosing context. An estimation aid, not a diagnosis or a dosing tool — and nothing you enter leaves your device.

Serum creatinine

Creatinine unit

Age (years, 18+)

Sex

Body weight (kg, for Cockcroft-Gault)

Weight is only used for the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance; the CKD-EPI eGFR does not need it.

Enter a positive creatinine and an age of 18 or over to see the CKD-EPI eGFR and its KDIGO category.

Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance

Add a body weight (and an age of 18 or over) to see the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance.

Shown as dosing context only — many drug labels were validated against Cockcroft-Gault. This tool outputs no drug, dose, or dose adjustment; the dosing decision stays with the clinician and the product label.

Do not use the eGFR directly for drug dosing.

The CKD-EPI eGFR is normalised to 1.73 m² body-surface-area and must NOT be used directly for renally-cleared drug dosing. Both equations are validated for adults 18+ only (children need a paediatric equation such as bedside Schwartz), and the estimate is unreliable in acute kidney injury, pregnancy, and extremes of muscle mass.

Estimation aid, not a diagnosis or a dosing tool. This computes an estimate of kidney function from a single serum creatinine, age, and sex using the 2021 race-free CKD-EPI equation, plus the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance for context. It does not diagnose or stage chronic kidney disease (which needs a reduced eGFR or kidney-damage marker persisting beyond 3 months plus clinical correlation), and it recommends no drug, dose, or dose adjustment. The CKD-EPI eGFR is normalised to 1.73 m² body-surface-area and must NOT be used directly for renally-cleared drug dosing. Validated for adults 18+ only; use a paediatric equation for children. The estimate is unreliable in acute kidney injury, pregnancy, and extremes of muscle mass. Guidelines change — verify against the current KDIGO / national guideline and the product label.

Privacy: Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored.

Equations and KDIGO categories reproduced from: NIDDK (NIH) — eGFR Equations for Adults: CKD-EPI Creatinine 2021 (race-free).; Gounden V, Bhatt H, Jialal I. Renal Function Tests (Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance). StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf NBK544228..

How the eGFR and creatinine clearance are estimated

Two estimates of kidney function from one serum creatinine. The 2021 race-free CKD-EPI equation gives an eGFR normalised to 1.73 m² and maps to the KDIGO G-categories — used to describe kidney function, but a single value does not diagnose or stage chronic kidney disease. Cockcroft-Gault gives a creatinine clearance in mL/min that many drug labels were validated against, shown here purely as dosing context. Neither output is a drug dose, and neither replaces clinical correlation.

Many teams still recompute eGFR on a calculator each visit. If you run a kidney practice on Avinya Plus, the same arithmetic can live on the note: read more on the nephrology clinic workflow page, where the template builder and formula engine let you build creatinine and eGFR into a form and track the trend on the record. The arithmetic is the engine's; the dosing decision stays yours.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between eGFR and creatinine clearance?: The CKD-EPI eGFR is normalised to a standard 1.73 m² body surface area and is what guidelines use to describe kidney function. Cockcroft-Gault estimates creatinine clearance in mL/min from age, weight, sex, and creatinine, and is shown here because many drug labels were validated against it.
Can I use the eGFR for drug dosing?: No — the eGFR is normalised to 1.73 m² and should not be used directly for renally-cleared drug dosing. For dosing, follow the product label; the Cockcroft-Gault value is shown as context only, and the tool recommends no dose.
Does an eGFR below 60 mean chronic kidney disease?: Not on its own. Staging CKD requires a reduced eGFR (or a marker of kidney damage) to persist beyond three months, together with clinical correlation. The G-category shown is a descriptive label, not a diagnosis.
Is it valid for children?: No. Both equations here are for adults 18 and older. Children need a paediatric equation such as the bedside Schwartz formula.
Does any of the data I enter leave my browser?: No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored. The print option produces a clean worksheet you can save as a PDF.

Sources

The 2021 race-free CKD-EPI creatinine equation and KDIGO G-categories are reproduced from NIDDK/NIH; the Cockcroft-Gault formula from StatPearls (NBK544228). Cockcroft-Gault is older and retained mainly because many drug labels were validated against it; authorities (KDIGO/NKF) prefer CKD-EPI for staging. Reviewed against the sources on 2026-06-29.

Keep kidney function in the record.

In Avinya Plus you can build creatinine and eGFR into a nephrology template and track the trend on the record — the dosing decision stays with you. See it on a quick demo.