Simple methods for assessing urinary iodine, including preliminary description of a new rapid technique ("Fast B")

The urinary iodine is the best laboratory measure of iodine nutrition. Several simple methods are suitable for developing countries. The present article reviews these briefly. It also presents preliminary information on "Fast B", a rapid method that puts samples into convenient ranges rather than giving absolute values for individuals. This grouping by ranges is satisfactory for many epidemiological purposes and is considerably more rapid than other approaches. The choice among methods depends on the intended application, the number of samples, the cost and the technical capability. Having several different methods available allows the user to select the one best suited to specific needs. Further development of simple methods and appropriate combinations of steps from different ones deserve encouragement as a means of improving monitoring in the campaign to achieve sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency.