What Can Urine Test Strips Detect? Explained
According to the American Liver Foundation, more than 100 million Americans (1.8%) are living with some form of liver disease. In many of these cases, the patient is asked to take a urinalysis, among other tests, either to diagnose the condition or to check how well it is responding to the treatment. In this regard, using urine test strips is a necessity. But what are urine tests, and what can urine test strips detect?
Urine test strips are easy to use and interpret
In this article, we will dive into what can urine test strips detect in a urine sample. In addition, some of the well-known urinary test product brands have also been linked for the reader’s convenience.
What is a Urine Test?
A urine test or urinalysis is a method of checking a urine sample to detect the presence of certain disorders in the body. It is the well-known test in which you ‘pee in a cup’. This collected sample is then sent to a laboratory for further analysis, which includes inspecting it visually, chemically, and microscopically.
The urine test checks the presence/absence or levels of blood, proteins, ketones, glucose, and other substances in the sample. As urinalysis is an easy-to-conduct test, it can be performed at home as well, either by the patient or a caregiver.
What can Urine Test Strips Detect?
While learning about what can urine test strips detect, keep in mind that there are a number of substances that can be checked for their presence or elevated concentrations. This way, alterations in their normal levels hints at the healthcare provider regarding the possible diseases or infections in the patient’s body.
Some of these parameters and substances that can be detected by the urine test strips are as follows:
Urinary pH
pH is the measure of the acidity of a substance. This is a parameter that is often checked for urine to find out how acidic it is, and the value depends on what your diet is. According to the National Library of Medicine, under normal circumstances, urinary pH remains between 5 and 7. In some cases, a value between 4.5 and 8 is also considered normal.
However, while learning what can urine test strips detect, remember that if the value is below the lower limit, it indicates a highly acidic state in the body. A pH more than 7 or 8 is often associated with urinary infections, kidney stones, and other disorders.
Specific Gravity
Specific gravity is a parameter that indicates how well the kidneys can concentrate urine. While learning about what can urine test strips detect, keep in mind that to find out the specific gravity of a substance, the amount of solute present in the substance is compared to that in pure water.
If a urine sample depicts a specific gravity of 1.003 or less, it means that the sample is dilute and contains a high concentration of water. Moreover, the presence of glucose or urea can also lower the specific gravity value. Similarly, an increase in the value is observed if ketoacids or proteins are released in the urine.
Glucose
Glucose is the energy-providing molecule present in our blood as well as tissues. Under normal conditions, glucose is never excreted in urine as it is not a waste material. Rather, extra glucose is stored in the body for future use.
While learning about what can urine test strips detect, it is essential to note that the presence of glucose in urine either indicates diabetes mellitus or a state of pregnancy.
Protein
Proteins are one of the major building blocks of our body. Apart from tissues, many different kinds of proteins are also present in our blood that act as carriers or maintain its osmolarity. When it comes to learning what can urine test strips detect, keep in mind that, like glucose, proteins are also never excreted in urine among healthy individuals primarily due to their bigger size that restricts filtration.
However, if the patient has a kidney disease that is associated with tissue damage, these proteins start coming out in the urine and can be detected with a dipstick test.
Urine test strips offer simultaneous detection of different urinary components
Nitrite
Another chemical compound that can be detected by a urine stick test is nitrite. Usually, nitrite is not one of the normal urinary components. It is produced when nitrates present in the urine are converted into nitrite. An interesting thing in this equation is that this reaction can only be conducted by some bacteria. Therefore, getting a positive nitrite test suggests a urinary tract infection.
However, while learning what can urine test strips detect, keep in mind that not all bacteria can produce nitrites. Rather, these chemicals can only be produced by Escherichia coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Citrobacter. Moreover, bacteria like Haemophilus, Streptococcus, and Staphylcoccus are not capable of conducting this reaction.
Ketone
Ketones are the molecules that accumulate in the body when there are not enough carbohydrates. In such cases, the body starts metabolizing fats instead of carbohydrates, a reaction that generates ketone bodies instead of glucose. These ketones are inclusive of acetone, acetoacetic acid, and B-hydroxybutyric acid.
When it comes to learning what can urine test strips detect, it should be kept in mind that these ketones in the urinary sample can indicate vomiting, pregnancy, starvation, strenuous exercise, uncontrolled diabetes, as well as diabetes ketoacidosis.
Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a product of hemoglobin breakdown that is rarely present in the urine. A small amount of it detected in the urine is normal. However, the presence of high concentrations of bilirubin in a urine sample is often associated with liver diseases such as jaundice, hepatitis, etc.
Urobilinogen
When bilirubin is excreted into the intestine, gut bacteria metabolize it to form urobilinogen. Usually secreted in small amount, urobilinogen gives urine its yellow color. If, after doing a dipstick test for urobilinogen, while learning what can urine test strips detect, an increased level is detected, it indicates that conditions like constipation, intestinal bacterial overgrowth, hemolytic anemia, or liver parenchymal disease might be present in the body.
However, a lower level of urobilinogen is often due to severe cholestasis or obstructive biliary disease.
Red Blood Cells/Blood
If the patient is going through an infection or a kidney disorder, red blood cells or erythrocytes start crossing the glomerular capillaries, i.e. the structures responsible for filtering the blood to produce urine.
However, while learning what can urine test strips detect, it is important to keep in mind that doing strenuous exercise or taking certain medications can also release RBCs in urine. Therefore, their detection through a dipstick test does not necessarily mean that the patient has a severe kidney disease. Although further testing is required.
White Blood Cells
Our white blood cells (WBCs) or leukocytes are our defense against pathogens. These cells contain an enzyme known as leukocyte esterase, which comes out of the cell only upon its lysis or breakdown. As WBCs do not breakdown so often, leukocyte esterase is not released in the urine in a detectable amount and hence, the leukocyte esterase test gives a negative result.
However, while learning about what can urine test strips detect, it is important to note that a positive leukocyte esterase test indicates an infection in the body that is causing the WBCs to die and release the enzyme.
The results obtained from the urine test are reliable and can be used for setting a dosage regimen
Urine Test Products at Health Supply 770: Features and Specifications
A urine test is a method of checking the state of a patient’s body by analyzing their urine sample. This sample is inspected visually for signs of any color or turbidity and microscopically to see the smaller substances present in it. Moreover, a dipstick test reveals the presence of numerous chemicals in the sample.
When it comes to learning about what can urine test strips detect, it is also essential to look into some of the products that many brands manufacture. Some of these well-known brands are also available at Health Supply 770 and have been detailed below, along with their features and purchase links:
McKesson Medsurg 121-10SG Urine Test Strip, 10SG F/121-120ANALYZ (VL/1)
US$62.22
Product Details
McKesson Medsurg 121-10SG urine test strips are one of the best products in the market in this domain. These have been specially designed to simultaneously detect 10 of the key urinary parameters with high accuracy and reliability. These include pH, blood, protein, nitrite, ketone, leukocytes, glucose, specific gravity, bilirubin, as well as urobilinogen.
Moreover, these McKesson Medsurg 121-10SG urine test strips are CLIA-waived products that are suitable for employment in clinical labs, physicians’ offices, and point-of-care settings. While learning what can urine test strips detect, the expiry of the product is a concern. In this regard, these urine test strips, if stored in a tightly capped jar at room temperature, can be used for up to 24 months.
Furthermore, as for their applications, these McKesson Medsurg 121-10SG urine test strips can be used for screening urinary tract infections, metabolic disorders, as well as kidney-related diseases.
Siemens Medical 10336425 Urine Test Strips, Multistix 10SG 2161 (100/VL=EA)
Product Details
Siemens Medical 10336425 urine test strips come with a result producing time that is between 1 to 2 minutes. This fast and reliable operation renders the product suitable for use in healthcare facilities as well as in home settings.
Moreover, while addressing the question of what can urine test strips detect, it is a common concern about the urinary components these can detect. In this regard, these Siemens Medical 10336425 urine test strips are useful for detecting the renal parameters using microalbumin or albumin:creatinine ratio.
Furthermore, these products are also suitable for managing diabetes. As they screen out the non-infected urine samples, it is possible only to follow-up the positive ones for further testing.
Roche Diagnostic 3260763160 Urine Test Strip, CHEMSTRIP 10 MD (100/VL)
Product Details
Roche Diagnostic 3260763160 urine test strips are specialized products that are capable of resisting the interference caused by vitamin C in the multiparameter visual reagent urine sample. As vitamin C can oxidize the reagents of the urine test strips, it can produce false results if not restricted.
Moreover, when asked about what can urine test strips detect, these Roche Diagnostic 3260763160 urine test strips have been designed to detect renal as well as liver-related parameters. In addition, these can also be used for diagnosing metabolic disorders.
Furthermore, these Roche Diagnostic 3260763160 urine test strips can produce a result within 1 to 2 minutes of testing the urine sample. Another advantage is that the product allows reading of all the test squares at the same time.
*Note: The prices of these items mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.
Urine analysis helps reveal information about a patient’s health state
The products mentioned in this article, while learning about what can urine test strips detect, along with many other medical supplies, can be purchased from Health Supply 770, a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the link at the end of the article to check the wide range of urinalysis-related products.
Conclusion
A urinalysis is a non-invasive test used for detecting the presence and levels of certain chemical agents in a urine sample. The test involves a visual inspection, a chemical analysis, as well as a microscopic examination.
When addressing the question of what can urine test strips detect, keep in mind that they can be used for estimating the pH and specific gravity of the product. Moreover, RBCs, WBCs, bilirubin, urobilinogen, proteins, glucose, as well as ketones and nitrites can also be detected. This way, the healthcare provider can have insight on the internal state of a patient’s body.
Considering their importance, urine test strips should be kept in healthcare facilities as well as in home settings to use whenever necessary. For purchasing different types of urine test products, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.
References
Read also
Understanding Your Urine Test Results: What Each Marker Means
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