How to Read Urine Test Strips: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Caregivers

Urinalysis is the name given to the test of a sample of urine. Urinalysis can detect a wide range of health issues, as well as test other parameters to examine the health of a patient. Urine test strips (also known as hydration test strips) can be used to test for medical conditions such as kidney disease, urinary tract infection (UTI) and diabetes.Rapid urine test strips offer a simple way of testing a urine sample for a handful of different things, and identifying a deviation in the expected levels within the urine. They are fast to use and offer quick results, making them a common choice for urinalysis.It's vital that health professionals and caregivers understand how to read a urine test strip result properly, and grasp the meaning of the result.

What can rapid urine test strips test for?

Many of the substances found in urine have an associated 'normal range', or don't appear in normal urine at all. A rapid urine test can identify where certain substances fall outside this normal expected range. This can help health professionals and caregivers determine particular things about the health of a patient, or monitor known health conditions.The results of a urine strip test can help diagnose or manage various medical conditions. Urine dipsticks can test urine for:

• Glucose - Which is not found in normal urine. High levels of glucose in urine may indicate high blood sugar or diabetes. Urine tests on their own aren't used to diagnose diabetes, but can be used to monitor blood sugars in urine.

• pH value - The acidity of the urine. The normal range is from around 5 to 7. A value of below 5 suggests the urine is too acidic, which carries an increased risk of kidney stones. A reading of above 7 may be a sign of a urinary tract infection.

• Protein - Which is not usually found in urine, and may be a sign of a medical condition such as kidney inflammation.

• Nitrite - The presence of nitrite in urine may indicate a urinary tract infection.

• Ketone (acetoacetic acid) - Which may be a sign of high blood sugar or diabetes mellitus.

• Bilirubin - Which is a breakdown product of red blood cells, and not found in normal urine. The presence of bilirubin may indicate an issue with the liver.

• White blood cells/leukocytes - Which may be a sign of urinary infection.

• Red blood cells/erythrocytes - Which can be a sign of kidney infection or other urinary tract infections.

• Specific gravity - Which measures the kidneys' ability to balance the density of water and urine.

Are urine test strips accurate?

Ensuring urinalysis test strips are used correctly improves the accuracy of the result. There is some evidence to suggest a false positive result is more likely than a false negative result.Urine test strip tests aren't infallible. They are useful to test for the presence of certain substances in urine, and can be used alongside other testing methods if necessary. Rapid urine tests are a useful tool in the management of some medical conditions, and can be a helpful part of making clinical decisions when combined with patient observation and other diagnostic testing if needed. The rapid results of a urine test strip test are useful in the interim while awaiting other results.If you are unsure about the validity of a result, re-test with a fresh sample of urine. In the event of symptoms suggesting a urinary tract infection, a negative urine strip test is not sufficient to rule out UTI. In this instance, a urine culture should be taken to check for UTI.

How to ensure the test result will be as accurate as possible

Urinalysis tests require a fresh sample of mid-stream urine. This means the patient should urinate for a few seconds into the toilet first before collecting the sample. If the sample is going to be more than 2 hours old at the time of testing, ensure it is refrigerated. If a sample is exposed to the air or sits at room temperature for too long, disregard it and collect a fresh sample.Urine samples can be easily contaminated by bacteria from the environment, so precautions should always be taken when collecting and handling a sample. Use a sterile urine collection kit, such as a Urine A & B Sample Kit.Ascorbic acid in large amounts in the urine sample can affect the results of a urine dipstick test. People taking vitamin C supplements will likely have large amounts of ascorbic acid in their urine, which can cause false negative results.Ensure the manufacturer's instructions are followed for the collection of the sample and testing of the urine, and if concerned with the suitability of a sample, it's best to disregard it and collect a new sample.

How to use a rapid urine test

Always read the manufacturer's instructions before using a urine test strip, as they may vary slightly between kits.Lightly swirl the container to ensure the urine sample is mixed before testing. Gloves should always be worn when handling samples of bodily fluids.The urine dipstick has a gripping surface at one end. Grasp the strip test by the end and dip it into the urine sample. Each of the test reagent pads need to be submerged in the sample, and then the strip removed immediately.

How to read urine test strips

Excess urine should be allowed to run off the side of the strip, rather than down the test area. Before attempting to read the strip, hold it in a horizontal position. This will ensure the different test zones don't interfere with one another.You may notice the colours start to change within 30 seconds, but it will sometimes take up to two minutes for the results to be ready.Hold the test strip beside the colour chart to observe the colour changes. Some rapid urine test strips need to be read in a particular order, so make sure you have read the instructions prior to dipping the test strip in the sample.If more colour changes occur after the first few minutes, disregard them. The longer the urine remains on the test strip, the higher the chance of producing a false result.The urine sample itself can tell us a lot about the health of the patient. Urine should be pale yellow or clear. If the sample is an unusual colour or very dark, it may indicate a problem or dehydration.

Colour changes

Always refer to the colour change chart on the side of the packaging. However, as a general guide to the colour changes of a urine test strip:

• Leukocytes: Cream indicates negative, any shade of brown is a positive result, with purple being a strong positive.

• Nitrite: White indicates negative, any shade of pink indicates positive.

• Protein: Green indicates negative, blue indicates positive.

• pH value: Orange indicates a results of 6-6.5, green is a result of 7-7.5, blue/green is 8-8.5

• Blood: Orange is negative, speckled is a trace to moderate reading, and green indicates positive.

• Glucose: Light aqua indicates negative, green indicates trace levels, green-brown indicates moderate to high levels.

Rapid urinalysis for health professionals and caregivers

Health professionals and caregivers may need to use rapid urine test strips to test the urine of a patient or family member.Ensure you use the correct urine test strip for what you are monitoring. For example, to monitor hydration, use a kit such as Urinsafe hydration test strips. These can test for specific gravity levels and pH in a urine sample. For a urine dipstick test that monitors proteins, glucose and certain substances in urine, use Multistix reagent strips.

Wholesale medical supplies

It's important for health professionals and caregivers to not only know how to read urine test strips, but also how to help ensure an accurate result. For people that need to monitor the levels of certain substances in urine, it's important to shop urine test strips from a trusted medical supplier.Here at LFA First Response we stock a range of urine test strips and other urinalysis products, including urine sample kits and nitrile gloves for handling samples. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.