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I’ve received mixed messages about whom to screen for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening only patients at high risk, but kidney experts advise screening everyone. Who is right? What does the data show?
In 2012, the USPSTF stated that there was insufficient evidence to assess the benefit, or harm, of regularly screening asymptomatic adults for CKD.1 Other expert medical panels have come to this conclusion as well, and therefore only recommend screening highrisk patients.2
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) encourages clinicians to assess all patients for risk factors of CKD. Diabetes and hypertension are strongly established risk factors for kidney disease; others include family history of kidney disease; cardiovascular disease; obesity; and older age.
If a patient is at risk for CKD, the NKF recommends testing serum creatinine levels to estimate glomerular filtration rate and testing urine for protein (microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria). These tests are readily accessible in a primary care setting. It should be noted that one-time testing of serum creatinine and/or urine has not been studied for sensitivity or specificity in the diagnosis of CKD. Diagnosis should be based on decreased renal function or kidney damage occurring over a three-month span.3
In May 2016, Canadian researchers published results from the See Kidney Disease Targeted Screening Program for CKD, comparing CKD screening in the general population with a targeted, at-risk individual population.4 The study, which included more than 6,000 participants, revealed a higher rate of unrecognized CKD in the at-risk population than in the general population (21.9% and 14.7%, respectively).
These findings support the idea that screening at-risk patients identifies more cases of CKD than screening the general patient population does.4 Early diagnosis of CKD, through recognition of risk factors, provides an opportunity to decrease complications and manage conditions that contribute to the progression of renal disease.2,3 —RVR
Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP
Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas
1. Moyer VA. Screening for chronic kidney disease: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157(8):567-570.
2. Vassalotti JA, Centor R, Turner BJ, et al. Practical approach to detection and management of chronic kidney disease for the primary care clinician. Am J Med. 2016;129(2):153-162.
3. Levey AS, Becker C, Inker LA. Glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria for detection and staging of acute and chronic kidney disease in adults: a systematic review. JAMA. 2015;313(8):837-846.
Clinician Reviews in partnership with
Renal Consult is edited by Jane S. Davis, CRNP, DNP, a member of the Clinician Reviews editorial board, who is a nurse practitioner in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is the communications chairperson for the National Kidney Foundation’s Council of Advanced Practitioners (NKF-CAP); and Kim Zuber, PA-C, MSPS, DFAAPA, a semi-retired PA who works with the American Academy of Nephrology PAs and is a past chair of the NKF-CAP. This month’s responses were authored by Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP, who practices at the Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas, and Tricia A. Howard, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director in the PA Program at South University in Savannah, Georgia.
Clinician Reviews in partnership with
Renal Consult is edited by Jane S. Davis, CRNP, DNP, a member of the Clinician Reviews editorial board, who is a nurse practitioner in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is the communications chairperson for the National Kidney Foundation’s Council of Advanced Practitioners (NKF-CAP); and Kim Zuber, PA-C, MSPS, DFAAPA, a semi-retired PA who works with the American Academy of Nephrology PAs and is a past chair of the NKF-CAP. This month’s responses were authored by Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP, who practices at the Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas, and Tricia A. Howard, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director in the PA Program at South University in Savannah, Georgia.
Clinician Reviews in partnership with
Renal Consult is edited by Jane S. Davis, CRNP, DNP, a member of the Clinician Reviews editorial board, who is a nurse practitioner in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is the communications chairperson for the National Kidney Foundation’s Council of Advanced Practitioners (NKF-CAP); and Kim Zuber, PA-C, MSPS, DFAAPA, a semi-retired PA who works with the American Academy of Nephrology PAs and is a past chair of the NKF-CAP. This month’s responses were authored by Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP, who practices at the Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas, and Tricia A. Howard, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director in the PA Program at South University in Savannah, Georgia.
Q)
I’ve received mixed messages about whom to screen for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening only patients at high risk, but kidney experts advise screening everyone. Who is right? What does the data show?
In 2012, the USPSTF stated that there was insufficient evidence to assess the benefit, or harm, of regularly screening asymptomatic adults for CKD.1 Other expert medical panels have come to this conclusion as well, and therefore only recommend screening highrisk patients.2
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) encourages clinicians to assess all patients for risk factors of CKD. Diabetes and hypertension are strongly established risk factors for kidney disease; others include family history of kidney disease; cardiovascular disease; obesity; and older age.
If a patient is at risk for CKD, the NKF recommends testing serum creatinine levels to estimate glomerular filtration rate and testing urine for protein (microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria). These tests are readily accessible in a primary care setting. It should be noted that one-time testing of serum creatinine and/or urine has not been studied for sensitivity or specificity in the diagnosis of CKD. Diagnosis should be based on decreased renal function or kidney damage occurring over a three-month span.3
In May 2016, Canadian researchers published results from the See Kidney Disease Targeted Screening Program for CKD, comparing CKD screening in the general population with a targeted, at-risk individual population.4 The study, which included more than 6,000 participants, revealed a higher rate of unrecognized CKD in the at-risk population than in the general population (21.9% and 14.7%, respectively).
These findings support the idea that screening at-risk patients identifies more cases of CKD than screening the general patient population does.4 Early diagnosis of CKD, through recognition of risk factors, provides an opportunity to decrease complications and manage conditions that contribute to the progression of renal disease.2,3 —RVR
Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP
Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas
Q)
I’ve received mixed messages about whom to screen for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening only patients at high risk, but kidney experts advise screening everyone. Who is right? What does the data show?
In 2012, the USPSTF stated that there was insufficient evidence to assess the benefit, or harm, of regularly screening asymptomatic adults for CKD.1 Other expert medical panels have come to this conclusion as well, and therefore only recommend screening highrisk patients.2
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) encourages clinicians to assess all patients for risk factors of CKD. Diabetes and hypertension are strongly established risk factors for kidney disease; others include family history of kidney disease; cardiovascular disease; obesity; and older age.
If a patient is at risk for CKD, the NKF recommends testing serum creatinine levels to estimate glomerular filtration rate and testing urine for protein (microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria). These tests are readily accessible in a primary care setting. It should be noted that one-time testing of serum creatinine and/or urine has not been studied for sensitivity or specificity in the diagnosis of CKD. Diagnosis should be based on decreased renal function or kidney damage occurring over a three-month span.3
In May 2016, Canadian researchers published results from the See Kidney Disease Targeted Screening Program for CKD, comparing CKD screening in the general population with a targeted, at-risk individual population.4 The study, which included more than 6,000 participants, revealed a higher rate of unrecognized CKD in the at-risk population than in the general population (21.9% and 14.7%, respectively).
These findings support the idea that screening at-risk patients identifies more cases of CKD than screening the general patient population does.4 Early diagnosis of CKD, through recognition of risk factors, provides an opportunity to decrease complications and manage conditions that contribute to the progression of renal disease.2,3 —RVR
Rebecca V. Rokosky, MSN, APRN, FNP
Renal Associates Clinical Advancement Center in San Antonio, Texas
1. Moyer VA. Screening for chronic kidney disease: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157(8):567-570.
2. Vassalotti JA, Centor R, Turner BJ, et al. Practical approach to detection and management of chronic kidney disease for the primary care clinician. Am J Med. 2016;129(2):153-162.
3. Levey AS, Becker C, Inker LA. Glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria for detection and staging of acute and chronic kidney disease in adults: a systematic review. JAMA. 2015;313(8):837-846.
1. Moyer VA. Screening for chronic kidney disease: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157(8):567-570.
2. Vassalotti JA, Centor R, Turner BJ, et al. Practical approach to detection and management of chronic kidney disease for the primary care clinician. Am J Med. 2016;129(2):153-162.
3. Levey AS, Becker C, Inker LA. Glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria for detection and staging of acute and chronic kidney disease in adults: a systematic review. JAMA. 2015;313(8):837-846.