MedeliX
Start asking

eGFR (EKFC equation)

European Kidney Function Consortium creatinine eGFR, valid from childhood to old age

Sources last checked: 2026-10-13

eGFR (EKFC equation)

European Kidney Function Consortium creatinine eGFR, valid from childhood to old age

Creatinine unit
Sex
Fill in every field to see the result.

Q values are for White European populations; no Black participants were included in development. Like all creatinine equations it is unreliable in AKI, pregnancy and at extremes of muscle mass.

Source: Pottel H, Björk J, Courbebaisse M et al. Development and validation of a modified full age spectrum creatinine-based equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate: a cross-sectional analysis of pooled data. Ann Intern Med 2021;174(2):183-191.Open

Interpretation

G5 — kidney failure< 15 mL/min/1.73 m² (KDIGO GFR category G5).
G4 — severely decreased15–29 mL/min/1.73 m².
G3b — moderately to severely decreased30–44 mL/min/1.73 m².
G3a — mildly to moderately decreased45–59 mL/min/1.73 m².
G2 — mildly decreased60–89 mL/min/1.73 m². CKD only with other markers of kidney damage.
G1 — normal or high≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m².

What is the eGFR (EKFC equation)?

The EKFC equation estimates GFR from serum creatinine, age and sex across the full age spectrum from 2 years upwards. The European Kidney Function Consortium (Pottel et al., Ann Intern Med 2021) built it from pooled European cohorts with measured GFR, combining the full-age-spectrum design with CKD-EPI-style exponents to avoid the jump between paediatric and adult equations.

When to use it

  • Estimating GFR in European adults, including young adults and older people
  • Adolescents moving to adult care, where a single equation avoids a jump in eGFR
  • CKD staging by KDIGO GFR categories

When not to use it

  • Acute kidney injury or rapidly changing creatinine
  • Pregnancy, amputations, very high or very low muscle mass
  • Drug dosing that specifies Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance

How it is calculated

eGFR = 107.3 × (SCr/Q)^−0.322 if SCr/Q < 1, or 107.3 × (SCr/Q)^−1.132 if SCr/Q ≥ 1; × 0.990^(age − 40) if age > 40 Q (µmol/L), age > 25: women 62, men 80. Age 2–25: ln Q (men) = 3.200 + 0.259·age − 0.543·ln(age) − 0.00763·age² + 0.0000790·age³; ln Q (women) = 3.080 + 0.177·age − 0.223·ln(age) − 0.00596·age² + 0.0000686·age³ SCr in mg/dL × 88.4 = µmol/L

Clinical pearls and limitations

  • Q values are for White European populations; no Black participants were included in development. Like all creatinine equations it is unreliable in AKI, pregnancy and at extremes of muscle mass.
  • For age > 25, Q is 62 µmol/L (0.70 mg/dL) in women and 80 µmol/L (0.90 mg/dL) in men; for ages 2–25 Q follows an age polynomial.
  • The age term 0.990^(age − 40) applies only above 40 years.
  • Compared with CKD-EPI, EKFC gives lower values in young adults, where CKD-EPI tends to overestimate GFR.
  • Use IDMS-traceable enzymatic creatinine.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EKFC equation?

eGFR = 107.3 × (SCr/Q)^−0.322 if SCr/Q < 1, or × (SCr/Q)^−1.132 if ≥ 1, multiplied by 0.990^(age − 40) above age 40.

EKFC or CKD-EPI?

Both perform similarly in middle-aged adults; EKFC was developed in European cohorts and is continuous across ages, which helps in young adults and the transition from paediatric care.

Can I enter creatinine in mg/dL?

Yes; it is converted with mg/dL × 88.4 = µmol/L before dividing by Q.

Evidence and guidelines

  1. Primary source: Pottel H, Björk J, Courbebaisse M et al. Development and validation of a modified full age spectrum creatinine-based equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate: a cross-sectional analysis of pooled data. Ann Intern Med 2021;174(2):183-191.
  2. Independent implementation for cross-checking: R package kidney.epi, function egfr.ekfc.cr (CRAN).

Have a follow-up question?

Medelix answers clinical questions from current guidelines and studies — every statement with its source.

Ask Medelix about the eGFR (EKFC equation)

Related calculators

Embed this calculatorFree to use on your website, intranet or teaching page. Copy the code below.
<iframe src="https://medelix.ai/en/embed/ekfc" title="eGFR (EKFC equation) – Medelix" width="100%" height="620" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p><a href="https://medelix.ai/en/calculators/egfr-ekfc">eGFR (EKFC equation) calculator by Medelix</a></p>

For healthcare professionals and medical students. These tools support, and do not replace, clinical judgement. Always check results against the original source and your local protocols.