EVALUATION OF SCREENING-TESTS FOR RENAL-INSUFFICIENCY IN THE DOG

The use of creatinine and fractional excretion of phosphate as screeni ng tests for early renal disease is examined. Their relative efficienc y in detecting renal insufficiency is compared and the effect of diffe rent decision levels on interpreting test results is also discussed. T he use of receiver operating curves to evaluate the relationship betwe en 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.