Assessment of a screening protocol for occupational renal disease

Using 10 guidelines for medical screening programs, this review assesses a screening protocol that seeks to identify presymptomatic occupational renal disease among workers with nephrotoxin exposure. The protocol uses urinary markers of early renal dysfunction for the screening test. The review reveals that arguments for screening are the clinical significance of renal disease, worker acceptance of urine collection, the availability of exposure reduction as an intervention, and the availability of diagnostic and treatment facilities. Obstacles to screening are the lack of an effective intervention, the lack of strong evidence to indicate that an elevation in the urinary markers represents a preclinical stage of occupational renal disease, and the absence of firm numbers to demarcate normal from elevated concentrations of urinary markers. Given these obstacles, screening for occupational renal disease is not recommended.