How do you convert creatinine from umol/L (micromoles per liter) to mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)?

Creatinine Conversion: μmol/L to mg/dL

To convert creatinine from μmol/L to mg/dL, divide by 88.4. 1

Conversion Formula

• Creatinine (mg/dL) = Creatinine (μmol/L) ÷ 88.4 1

• Alternatively, to convert from mg/dL to μmol/L, multiply by 88.4 1

Practical Examples

• 50 μmol/L = 0.57 mg/dL (50 ÷ 88.4 = 0.57) 1

• 67 μmol/L = 0.76 mg/dL (67 ÷ 88.4 = 0.76) 1

• 88 μmol/L = 1.0 mg/dL (88 ÷ 88.4 ≈ 1.0) 1

• 98 μmol/L = 1.11 mg/dL (98 ÷ 88.4 = 1.11) 2

• 116 μmol/L = 1.31 mg/dL (116 ÷ 88.4 = 1.31) 2

Clinical Context

This conversion factor is universally applied across clinical guidelines and is essential when using GFR estimation equations that require creatinine in specific units 1:

• The Cockcroft-Gault equation requires creatinine in mg/dL, so if your laboratory reports in μmol/L, you must divide by 88.4 first 1

• The MDRD equation can be expressed in either unit system, but the conversion factor remains 88.4 1, 3

• The Schwartz equation for pediatric GFR estimation uses different constants depending on whether creatinine is in mg/dL or μmol/L, but the conversion factor between units is still 88.4 1

Important Caveats

• This conversion factor is independent of the creatinine assay method (Jaffe vs enzymatic) 1

• The conversion applies to both IDMS-traceable standardized creatinine and older non-standardized methods 3

• When using GFR estimation equations, ensure you're using the correct version of the equation that matches your creatinine units to avoid calculation errors 1