Article
Dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity are unreliable
A S de Buys Roessingh, A Drukker, J-P Guignard
Renal Unit,
Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre (CHUV), CH-1011
Lausanne, Switzerland
Correspondence to: Prof. Guignard Jean-Pierre.Guignard{at}chuv.hospvd.ch
Accepted 21 March 2001
AIM
To evaluate the reliability of
dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity (U-SG).
METHODSFresh urine specimens were
tested for urine pH and osmolality (U-pH, U-Osm) by a pH meter and an
osmometer, and for U-SG by three different methods (refractometry,
automatic readout of a dipstick (Clinitek-50), and (visual) change of
colour of the dipstick).
RESULTSThe correlations between
the visual U-SG dipstick measurements and U-SG determined by a
refractometer and the comparison of Clinitek®-50 dipstick
U-SG measurements with U-Osm were less than optimal, showing very wide
scatter of values. Only the U-SG refractometer values and U-Osm had a
good linear correlation. The tested dipstick was unreliable for the
bedside determination of U-SG, even after correction for U-pH, as
recommended by the manufacturer.
CONCLUSIONSAmong the bedside
determinations, only refractometry gives reliable U-SG results.
Dipstick U-SG measurements should be abandoned.
Keywords: urine specific gravity; dipstick urinalysis
© 2001 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in ADC Online
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
