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Apex Nursing

Creatinine Clearance Calculator

Estimate creatinine clearance with the Cockcroft-Gault equation.

Sex
yr
kg
mg/dL

Enter age, weight, and serum creatinine to calculate.

Why nurses use this

Cockcroft-Gault is the equation most drug references and pharmacies still use for renal dose adjustment— it estimates clearance, not GFR. The lab’s reported eGFR (CKD-EPI) stages kidney disease but is not what most dosing tables were validated against.

The equation assumes stable creatinine and uses actual body weight here — many protocols substitute ideal or adjusted body weight in obesity. It overestimates clearance in low muscle mass (older adults, cachexia).

Educational use only. Renal dose adjustments are provider and pharmacy decisions; this estimate does not replace the clinical equation your facility specifies. This material supports nursing education and exam review. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional policy, or medical direction. Always follow facility protocols and current provider orders.