Dropper style controls should only be used if the control is transferred to an appropriate test tube before use. Combining the results of leukocyte (WBC) and nitrite is a better predictor of the presence or absence of urinary tract infection, than any one test parameter alone. 3 pH — this tells you how acid or alkali the urine is. It can be used as a guide to hyperventilation as it goes greeny blue (alkali) in people who hyperventilate. Specific gravity tells you how concentrated the urine is and simply reflects how much or little you are drinking. In chronic renal failure, the kidney cannot concentrate urine and it is always weak with a low specific gravity (dark green).

Nitrites — if nitrites are present then a pink colour shows. Nitrites are created when bacteria in the urine convert urea to nitrite – nitrites usually mean infection – see below

Assays

The ID bands have a hydrophobic (water repellent) coating that helps to prevent build-up of liquid. Touching this band may disrupt the coating and allow more fluid to collect on the band. This can cause a strip identification error. As stated in the product insert, test pads, including ID bands, should not be touched. Robertson AW, Duff P. The nitrite and leukocyte estarase tests for the evaluation of asymptomatic bacteriuria in obstetrics. Obstet. Gynnecol 1988;71:878-81. The test strips can be used on Siemens’ CLINITEK Status ® and CLINITEK Advantus ® analyzers without impacting performance. Siemens is committed to continuous innovation in urinalysis and providing our customers with solutions for improved workflow and improved clinical information at the point of care. Enables user compliance with IVDD regulations by reporting results only from urinalysis strips that have been validated for use on the CLINITEK Status analyzers.

Protein — if protein is present then the colour changes to a bottle-green. Protein is a sign of disease of the renal tract — almost any kidney disease can present with protein in the urine. Combining the results of leukocyte (WBC) and nitrite is a better predictor of the presence or absence of urinary tract infection, than any one test parameter alone. 2No. The leukocyte pad is used to determine if the strip has been degraded from exposure to humidity. Only those Siemens strips with the leukocyte pad can detect humidity over-exposure. A multicenter study was conducted to identify patients with potential UTIs. There were 1,887 urine specimens tested comparing the leukocyte and nitrite results of Multistix urinalysis strips to urine culture. Eliminates the need to manually select strip type if using different urinalysis strips – saves time and reduces possible errors.