Urinox-10

Ideally, the specimen for routine urinalysis should be examined while fresh (less than 1 hour; 2 hours maximum). If this is not possible, it should be refrigerated immediately and/or have an appropriate chemical preservative added until examined. Specimens stored at room temperature will soon begin to decompose, mainly due to the presence of bacteria in the sample. Refrigerated samples should be used within 24 hours of collection.

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Yes, antibiotics can affect urine tests in various ways. Here are a few examples:

1. Alteration of Results: Antibiotics can interfere with urine tests by affecting the bacterial growth in cultures. For instance, if you're being tested for a urinary tract infection (UTI), antibiotics can reduce the number of bacteria in your urine, which might lead to a negative culture result even if an infection is present.
2. Chemical Interference: Some antibiotics can chemically interfere with the urine test itself. They may cause changes in the color of the urine or react with the chemicals used in the testing process, leading to inaccurate readings.
3. False Positives/Negatives: Certain antibiotics can cause false positives or negatives in tests for substances like glucose or proteins in the urine.
4. Impact on Kidney Function Tests: Antibiotics, especially those that are potentially nephrotoxic, can affect kidney function, which might be reflected in urine tests that measure kidney health.

If you are taking antibiotics and need to undergo a urine test, it's important to inform the healthcare provider about your medication. This will help them interpret the test results more accurately.

Urine tests can sometimes give false results, meaning they show a problem when there isn't actually one (false positive) and similarly do not correctly determine a problem when there is one (false negative). This can happen for different reasons as explained below.

False Positives on a Urine Protein Test

Urine tests can sometimes give false-positive results for different reasons, such as if the urine is too old or if certain substances or medications are present. Also, if the test is not used properly or if the urine container is not sterile or properly cleaned, it can also give a false-positive result. So, it's important to take these factors into account when interpreting urine test results.

For the urine protein test, false-positive results may occur in highly buffered alkaline urine, which may result from alkaline medication or stale urine. If the dipstick is left in the urine for too long, the chemicals (buffers) on the reagent pads may wash out, resulting in the strip turning blue or green, even if the protein is not present.

Detergents, antiseptics, and quaternary ammonium compounds used to clean the urine container can also result in false positives. Therefore, collecting urine samples in clean, sterile containers is highly recommended. Certain medications and substances, such as phenazopyridine, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and chlorhexidine gluconate (commonly found is skin cleansers), may also cause false positives. Additionally, the presence of blood or high levels of bilirubin may interfere with the accuracy of the test.

Alkaline urine, highly pigmented urine, or concentrated urine (with high specific gravity) can also cause false positives.

False Negatives on a Urine Protein Test

False-negative results can occur in dilute urines and when proteins other than albumin are present in slightly elevated concentrations.

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An alkaline urine can generate false-positives. A urine specimen may have a high pH because of medication, vegetarian diet, or if the urine is old. The test can also show a positive result if the test strip is left in the urine for too long. The cleaning products used to clean the urine container can also affect the test results. Some medications and substances used in medical treatments can also cause the test to show a false-positive result. Blood in the urine or high levels of bilirubin can also make the test show a false-positive result.

The Urinox dipstick tests are capable of detecting both intact Red Blood Cells (RBCs) as well as free hemoglobin and myoglobin. Intact RBCs break down and react with the test pad and will result in green spots on yellow or orange background. The concentration of green spots is typically linked to the number of RBCs. Free hemoglobin and myoglobin produce a uniform green or green to dark blue color.

If you find green spots on the reagent pad for blood, consult with a physician about your findings and seek a professional diagnosis.

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‍Source: Lillian Mundt, “Graff’s Textbook of Urinalysis and Body Fluids 3rd Edition (2016, Wolters Kluwer)

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The dipstick tests are capable of detecting both intact Red Blood Cells (RBCs) as well as free hemoglobin and myoglobin. Intact RBCs break down and react with the test pad and will result in green spots on yellow or orange background. The concentration of green spots is typically linked to the number of RBCs. Free hemoglobin and myoglobin produce a uniform green or green to dark blue color.

If you find green spots on the reagent pad for blood, consult with a physician about your findings and seek a professional diagnosis.

Also, you may find the following recommendations helpful:

• Repeat the tests to arrive at consistent conclusions.
• Please note that contaminants on the non-sterile containers may interact with the chemicals on the test pads and produce erroneous results, so it is recommended to use sterile containers for specimen collection.
• The result should be read at 60 seconds after wetting the strip.

Source: Lillian Mundt, “Graff’s Textbook of Urinalysis and Body Fluids 3rd Edition (2016, Wolters Kluwer)

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Since the reagent strips are semi-quantitative, you may not always find an exact color match. In general, the clinical practice is to choose the closest color match to find the results. Also, it is essential to appreciate that certain drugs/medications, vitamins, and dietary choices can alter urine parameters (mostly acutely). For example, consuming highly pigmented foods (e.g., beetroot) may temporarily change urine color. Or consuming a lot of Vitamin C can impact the integrity of reagents.

For the pH, the reagent pad changes color from bright orange (for low pH) to deep/dark green (for high pH). A blue color is not generally reported on Urinox-10 strips. Some of the possible reasons for an unusual could be as follows:

1.       Strip was immersed in the urine sample for way too long. This could cause color bleeding from the adjacent pads, especially from protein-dye. The technical term for it is “run-over effect.” This term is used to describe what happens when excess urine is left on the stick after dipping, and so the acid buffer from the reagent in the protein area runs onto the pH area. This type of contamination can cause a false reading of the pH. To avoid this, quickly remove the strip from the urine sample (just enough to wet the pads). Drag the edge of the strip against the rim of the container to remove excess fluid and tap it onto a paper towel, and lay the strip flat.

2.       Not reading the results at the correct time. The results of the pH test are ready in 1 minute. Try to read at exactly 1-minute mark.

3.       It’s essential to recognize that there is a chance that strips may have gone bad. While individual packing of strips ensures test integrity up to the expiration date, storage conditions such as temperature or fluctuating temperature may cause strips to go bad.

Here are some suggestions/recommendations:

1.       Please repeat the test at different times of the day or on different days to see if you get similar findings.

2.       Optimally hydrate yourself so that any effect of medications or foods that may alter normal behavior subsides.

If your tests report an alkaline urine, it is typically due to a diet rich in greens/vegetables, due to UTI-causing bacteria (which thrive in an alkaline environment), or ingestion of bicarbonates or alkaline foods. Other causes of alkaline urine could be metabolic alkalosis or respiratory alkalosis.

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No, each parameter on the test strip has a different normal color. You should not compare the test strip colors before wetting the strip with urine. The colors of dry pads have no clinical significance.

The specific gravity of urine represents how concentrated the urine sample is.

Healthy adults have urine-specific gravity ranging from 1.003 to 1.030. Reduced specific gravity indicates diabetes and other renal disorders, while elevated levels indicate liver disease, excessive loss of free water, or congestive heart failure. A higher-than-normal concentration often is a result of not drinking enough fluids.

The Urinox-10 urine test strips are suitable for up to 2 years from the date of manufacture. The expiration date of each strip is printed on the pouch. Each strip is individually packed for a longer shelf life and to ensure that you get reliable results every time.

A urine pH test measures the level of acid in urine. Normal urine is slightly acidic, with pH values ranging from 5 to 8.

The urine pH test provides insight into how our bodies metabolize our food. In addition, it gives clues about the health of the kidneys and urinary tract.

Refer to this blog to learn about the pH of urine and what it suggests about our health.

Several urine parameters can provide clues for possible kidney-related disease. These include leukocytes, protein, pH, blood, specific gravity, and glucose.

Refer to this blog for detailed information about urinalysis parameters and how each provides diagnostic information for kidney diseases.

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Urobilinogen and Bilirubin are key parameters to screen for liver disease.

The presence of Bilirubin in the urine is an early indication of liver disease. Bilirubin is the breakdown product of hemoglobin. High levels of urobilinogen could also indicate liver disease.

Refer to this blog for detailed information on the role of urinalysis in diagnosing liver diseases.

Urine tests can sometimes give false results, meaning they show a problem when there isn't actually one and similarly do not correctly determine a problem when there is one. This can happen for different reasons, such as if the urine is too old or if certain substances or medications are present. Also, if the test is not used properly or if the urine container is not sterile or properly cleaned, it can also give false results.

Common reasons that cause false readings on a urinalysis test are:

• Taking specific drugs, such as Levodopa, Phenazopyrazine, and a high dosage of Vitamin C can cause a false positive for Ketone.
• Dehydration, high specific gravity, and a delayed urine sample can also cause a false positive for Ketone.
• Urine with a pH of 7.5, urine with the presence of penicillin, pus, semen, or vaginal can cause a false positive for high protein in the urine.
• A high dosage of Vitamin C can cause false-negative nitrite.
• Drug Tetracycline can cause false-negative leukocytes.
• Vitamin C in urine can also cause false-negative results for blood cells and glucose.

If none of the reagent pads on your urine test strip change color, it is still a valid result and quite common. This generally means a negative result for all parameters. Make sure all pads are thoroughly wet.

Leukocytes and Nitrite are considered key parameters to aid in the diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and bladder infections. A positive leukocyte or the presence of nitrite in the urine supports the diagnosis of UTI. A color darker than cream is considered a positive result for both leukocytes and nitrites.

Refer to this blog for more details on how to interpret results.

To avoid color bleeding from adjacent pads, it is not recommended to urinate directly on multiparameter urine test strips. Use a clean disposable container to collect the urine sample, preferably a sterile cup.

If you pee directly on the urine strip, all ten parameters may not get equally wet. Cross-bleeding will result in inaccurate results.

Each parameter takes a different amount of time to yield the result. The time ranges from 30 seconds to 120 seconds. The test time for each parameter is mentioned on the package insert and color key against each parameter, and the results should be read at the specified time without delay. The color changes that appear after 2 minutes are of no diagnostic significance.

Urine parameters can change throughout the day due to your diet and fluid intake.

The first-morning sample is usually considered best because it is more concentrated and more likely to detect abnormalities. The urinalysis that tests specifically for nitrites and bacteria requires time to convert nitrates to nitrites. Supposing that if you have slept for at least four hours without urinating, the bacteria has had sufficient time to complete the conversion and provide a rich sample for testing.

Your healthcare provider can guide you on the best times to conduct urinalysis based on your health and body needs. A 24-hour urine test is sometimes recommended to track daily urine parameters

The urine should be collected using the ‘Clean Catch’ method. To make sure that you get an accurate urinalysis test every time, please see some important points below:

• Use only clean, preferably, sterile urine specimen containers.
• Before taking the test, make sure that your hands and genital area are clean.
• Midstream urine is the best sample for urinalysis.
• Examination of the urine with test strips should be carried out as soon as possible.
• Cleaning agents and disinfectants can distort results (false-positive findings for different parameters).

Materials required for testing are:

1. Urine test strip
2. Color Chart
3. Specimen collection container (e.g., a clean disposable cup or sterile container).

The ten parameters tested with Urinox-10 urine test strips are as follows:

1. Leukocytes: The detection of the white blood cells in urine suggests possible UTI.
2. Nitrite: Screening for possible asymptomatic infections caused by nitrate-reducing bacteria.
3. Urobilinogen: Possible liver disease or red blood cell breakdown.
4. Protein: Screening for potential kidney and renal diseases. Protein in the urine is called proteinuria.
5. pH: Measures the acidity in your urine which may be a symptom of kidney stones. The pH may change during the day going from more acidic in the morning to more alkaline in the evening.
6. Blood: Blood in the urine is called hematuria. Several factors can cause hematuria, including UTIs, kidney infections, menstruation, and strenuous exercise.
7. Ketone: Increased ketone level is a sign of insufficient insulin and is helpful in monitoring type 1 diabetes. It is also measured to monitor the ketosis metabolic state during the keto diet.
8. Specific Gravity: Evaluates the body’s water/electrolyte balance (hydration) and urine concentration and helps evaluate kidney functions and possible kidney diseases.
9. Bilirubin: The detection of Bilirubin in the urine is an early indication of liver disease. Bilirubin is the breakdown product of hemoglobin.
10. Glucose: Glucose in the urine could indicate diabetes or renal glycosuria.

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Refer to this blog to learn about urinalysis parameters.

Individual wrapping of Urinox test strips ensures that each urinalysis strip is fresh and not altered by atmospheric conditions so that you get a reliable result every time. This also allows urine test strips to have a shelf life of 24 months from the manufacturing date. Most conventional urinalysis products have a brief shelf life of 30-60 days after opening the bottle. Individual wrapping of strips has various benefits, including less strip wastage, portability for travel, and storage convenience.

The Urinox urine test strips can be used for several reasons. For example:

1. To check overall health for various disorders, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease.
2. To help diagnose a medical condition. Urinalysis is a powerful tool to detect a broad range of health issues such as proteinuria, kidney diseases, liver health, urinary tract infections, and other metabolic and systematic diseases. Suppose you’re experiencing abdominal pain, back pain, frequent or painful urination, blood in your urine, or other urinary problems; a urinalysis may help diagnose the cause of these physical symptoms.
3. To monitor a medical condition. If you’ve been diagnosed with a medical condition, such as kidney disease or a urinary tract disease, urinalysis regularly helps monitor your condition and treatment.

Routine urinalysis is, therefore, recommended to keep track of our health and overall well-being. It is a standard test used in clinical practice to know the state of general well-being and organ health.

A urinalysis strip (dipstick) is a narrow plastic strip that has several square-shaped pads of different colors attached to it. Each small pad represents a chemical parameter (a component of the test) used to interpret urinalysis. When dipped in the urine, pad colors change in response to the chemical characteristics of the urine. The color changes are noted at specific time intervals and compared against the reference color chart/key.