Urine uric acid and urine creatine ratio in acute renal failure.

The urine uric acid (UUA) and urine creatinine (UC) concentration ratio was studied in 23 patients with acute renal failure. The ratio was higher than 1 in 12 patients and lower than 1 in 11. The clinical characteristics of the first group of patients included the association of infectious disease with high fever, hyperbilirubinemia, nonoliguric renal failure, less reduction of creatinine clearance, and higher urinary excretion of uric acid when compared with the second group. Jaundice and perhaps overproduction of uric acid due to hypercatabolism are believed to be responsible for the high uric acid excretion and the high UUA-UC ratio.