Dipstick Test PDF 2024-2025

Practical Physiology Second class Urinary system 2024-2025 Dipstick Tests Equipment for this station:  Urine dipsticks  Urine (...

Practical Physiology Second class Urinary system 2024-2025 Dipstick Tests Equipment for this station:  Urine dipsticks  Urine (real or substitute)  Syringe  Paper towel or tissue  Gloves Considerations for this station:  Wear gloves  Anything contaminated with urine (tissue, paper towel, etc.) must be disposed of in clinical waste  N.B. Substitute urine (rather than real urine) may be used in the Clinical Skills Lab  Make sure you are familiar with „Lab Area Rules‟ and wear a correctly fastened lab coat/scrub top, mop up any spills and spray work surface with 1% Virkon and wash hands in the hand wash sink. Practical Physiology Second class Urinary system 2024-2025 The principle The principle of the dipstick test involves a simple, rapid method for detecting specific substances in a liquid sample, commonly used in medical diagnostics, particularly for urine analysis. Here‟s a breakdown of the principle: 1. Absorption A dipstick, which is typically a plastic strip with a series of test pads, is immersed into the liquid sample (e.g., urine). The test pads are made of absorbent material. 2. Chemical Reaction Each test pad is coated with reagents that react with specific substances in the liquid. When the pad comes into contact with the sample, the analytes (such as glucose, protein, or ketones) interact with these reagents, triggering a chemical reaction. 3. Color Change The chemical reactions result in a color change in the test pads. Each pad is designed to detect a particular substance, and the intensity or shade of the color indicates the concentration of that substance. 4. Comparison and Interpretation After a specified time, the color of each pad is compared to a color chart provided with the dipstick. This comparison allows for the qualitative or quantitative assessment of the analytes present in the sample. Procedure: 1- Dipsticks commonly include tests for specific gravity, pH, glucose, protein, blood, bilirubin, ketones, urobilinogen, nitrite and leukocytes. 2- Despite the name “dipstick” it is better to draw up some urine from the sample pot into a sterile syringe. 3- Keeping the dipstick flat, place a drop of urine on each reagent pad. Don‟t put more than a drop or it may run and mix. The reagents contain chemicals that can interfere with each other reducing test accuracy. 4- Compare the colour of each reagent with the standards on the pack. Each test should be read after the appropriate amount of time. The times will be indicated on the pack. 5- The right hand strip shows a positive result for the presence of protein in the urine. Practical Physiology Second class Urinary system 2024-2025 Note: The dipstick reagents were designed for use with human urine. Resetting the station: 1- Dispose of used dipsticks (if real urine was used, the dipsticks must be placed into a clinical waste bin) 2- Securely close the urine pot 3- Leave syringes in the tray (if real urine was used dispose of used syringe/s in a clinical waste bin) 4- Wipe up any spills and leave the area clean and tidy 5- Anything contaminated with urine (e.g. tissue, paper towel, etc.) must also be disposed of in a clinical waste bin References  Smith, J. (2016). Urinalysis: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 69(5), 411-415.  Jones, A., & Taylor, B. (2018). Water Quality Assessment By: Ass. Using Lecturer Dipstick Mina D. Mustafa Methods. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(3), 1500-1508.