Two patients can have the exact same lab value and be in completely different clinical situations. That’s why trends matter just as much as the number itself. A creatinine of 2.4 in a patient with long-standing chronic kidney disease may be close to baseline and relatively stable. A creatinine of 2.4 in a patient who was 0.9 yesterday suggests acute kidney injury and rapidly worsening renal function. The lab value alone is not the whole story. You have to look at: • the baseline • the trend • ho