Evaluation of screening tests for renal insufficiency in the dog

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of creatinine and fractional excretion of phosphate as screening tests for early renal disease is examined. Their relative efficiency in detecting renal insufficiency is compared and the effect of different decision levels on interpreting test results is also discussed. The use of receiver operating curves to evaluate the relationship between specificity and sensitivity and their effects on the interpretation of results is shown. For all decision levels, creatinine is shown to be superior to fractional excretion of phosphate for the diagnosis of renal insufficiency.