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You must read a urine test strip correctly and carefully in order to obtain a meaningful and, under certain circumstances, comparable result.
Reading urine test strips: How the analysis works
Urine test strips are narrow strips that are made of plastic and have rough test fields on the front surface. These different substances in the test fields react to certain substances that may or may not be present in the urine. They can be used to test certain properties of urine.
- After the test strip has been dipped into the urine, place it across the sample cup . After some time, the test fields change color. The color changes are then evaluated.
- Wait the specified time before reading the result.
This is usually one to two minutes. If you read the result too early or too late, the result may be falsified. - To obtain the result, the color patches are compared with a reference color scale. This can be found on a leaflet (package insert) or on the tube containing the unused test strips.
- If the color on the test strip is green, interpret the pH value as normal. If the field turns red, you interpret this as a high pH value. It is then described as alkaline. Blue means a low pH value. The urine is therefore acidic.
- As these color interpretations are always general, it is important that you only ever use the manufacturer’s reference color scale that matches the test strip.
- Note: Only use test strips that have a valid shelf life. Expired urine test strips do not provide a meaningful result.
What you should also know
A urine test strip, if used correctly, will show you various parameters of the urine tested. After evaluation, you can conclude whether the urine is normal or shows abnormalities and thus indicates a disease.
- Urine strips measure the pH value and specific gravity. They provide information about bilirubin, glucose, blood, nitrates, leukocytes, proteins, ketone and urobilinogen. Among other things, these parameters tell you whether you have a urinary tract infection or diabetes mellitus.
- Elevated leukocyte, nitrite and protein levels indicate a bladder infection, for example. High nitrite values indicate a bacterial infection, as a high bacterial load reduces nitrate to nitrite.
- If the urine test strips have been stored properly and have not exceeded their expiration date, they usually provide reliable results. As certain dietary supplements and other factors can (usually unknowingly) falsify the result, it is important that you visit your GP practice for further diagnostics if you notice any abnormalities.
