The Creatinine Unit Converter switches a creatinine result between mg/dL (used in the US and a few other countries) and µmol/L (the SI unit used in the UK, Canada, Australia, and most of Europe). Creatinine is a muscle-derived waste product cleared by the kidneys, so it is central to assessing renal function.
How it works
Creatinine has a molar mass of 113.12 g/mol. Converting between the mass unit (mg/dL) and the molar unit (µmol/L) uses a single constant:
µmol/L = mg/dL × 88.42
mg/dL = µmol/L ÷ 88.42
The factor 88.42 accounts for the molar mass and the per-decilitre to per-litre
scaling. For example, a serum creatinine of 1.0 mg/dL equals
1.0 × 88.42 ≈ 88 µmol/L.
Conversion reference table
| mg/dL | µmol/L | Clinical context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 44 | Below normal, often seen in low muscle mass |
| 0.7 | 62 | Lower end of normal (male) |
| 1.0 | 88 | Mid-normal range |
| 1.2 | 106 | Upper normal (female); borderline (male) |
| 1.5 | 133 | Mild elevation |
| 2.0 | 177 | Moderate elevation; CKD stage 3 territory |
| 3.0 | 265 | Significant impairment |
| 5.0 | 442 | Severe impairment; renal replacement often considered |
| 10.0 | 885 | Advanced renal failure |
These ranges are approximate and depend on sex, age, and muscle mass. Always interpret against your laboratory’s specific reference interval.
Why the same patient looks different in the US vs UK
Because the US reports creatinine in mg/dL and most of the rest of the world uses µmol/L, the same result can look very different depending on which lab produced the report. A creatinine of 1.1 mg/dL and 97 µmol/L are the same measurement — the number is just expressed in different units. When reviewing international medical records, drug dosing tables, or clinical trial data, confirming which unit is being used before making a decision is essential.
Where this conversion matters clinically
Drug dosing calculations
The Cockcroft-Gault equation for estimating creatinine clearance uses serum creatinine in mg/dL in its original form. If your laboratory reports in µmol/L, you divide by 88.42 to convert before applying the formula, or you use the SI-unit version of the equation. Entering the wrong unit is one of the most common errors in renal dosing calculations.
Interpreting dialysis adequacy
In dialysis, urea is the primary marker (Kt/V and urea reduction ratio), but creatinine is also tracked and reported differently in US and European dialysis charts.
Reading international clinical studies
Many drug trials and clinical guidelines from the US cite creatinine in mg/dL; European and UK guidelines use µmol/L. Converting between them is a routine step when applying international evidence to local practice.
eGFR calculations
CKD-EPI and MDRD eGFR equations have published forms for both mg/dL and µmol/L inputs. If you are using a published formula directly rather than a calculator, match the formula variant to your lab’s units.
Reference values and notes
Typical normal serum creatinine is about 0.7–1.3 mg/dL (62–115 µmol/L) for men and 0.6–1.1 mg/dL (53–97 µmol/L) for women. These are general population estimates. Levels depend strongly on muscle mass, so a muscular athlete and a frail elderly patient with the same kidney function can show very different serum creatinine values — both would be “normal” for their physique despite the difference in numbers.
This tool converts the concentration only. Estimated GFR (eGFR), the more clinically meaningful measure of kidney function, is computed from creatinine together with age, sex, and in some equations race or cystatin C, using equations such as CKD-EPI. That is a separate calculation, not a unit conversion. Always interpret values against your own laboratory’s reference range and in the context of the full clinical picture.