Urinalysis
Urine dipstick
Bedside semi-quantitative screen of pH, specific gravity, protein, glucose, ketones, blood, leukocyte esterase, nitrites.
Sample
Random urine
Biology
What it measures
Reagent strips with chemical pads producing color change.
Pitfalls
Pre-analytic & interpretation traps
- !Dipstick protein detects mainly albumin — misses Bence-Jones (myeloma). Use UPCR / serum + urine immunofixation if myeloma suspected.
- !Vitamin C interferes with the blood and glucose pads (false negatives).
- !Highly alkaline urine (pH >8.5) → false-positive protein.
Follow-up orders