Serum creatinine (SCr) concentration is a cheap biomarker of kidney function measured globally millions of times every day. It is part of the KDIGO definitions of both chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury (AKI). However, SCr can be elevated following the introduction of a new medication, unrelated to reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and may lead to medical misjudgment, with clinically significant consequences. Indeed, several antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal or antiparasitic agents, fibrates or corticosteroids have been linked to increases in SCr unrelated to kidney injury (pseudo-AKI).
