Does an elevated admission BUN/Cr ratio identify reversible renal dysfunction and predict mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure?
An elevated admission BUN/Cr ratio in decompensated heart failure identifies a phenotype of transiently reversible renal dysfunction that is still associated with high mortality.
An elevated admission BUN/Cr identifies decompensated patients with heart failure likely to experience IRF with treatment, providing proof of concept that reversible RD may be a discernible entity. However, this improvement seems to be largely transient, and RD, in the setting of an elevated BUN/Cr, remains strongly associated with death. Further research is warranted to develop strategies for the optimal detection and treatment of these high-risk patients.
Brisco et al. (2013) studied this question.