The urine toxicology test strips can be used to test the entire spectrum of the urine by using just urine dipstick test strips. Now it is possible to test for glucose, ketones, blood, protein, nitrite, ph, urobilinogen, bilirubin, leucocytes and so on. The urine test strip when testing the blood element can be slightly sensitive to the free hemoglobin and the myoglobin than to the intact erythrocytes. A false positive on the test result can occur occasionally when there is bacteria present in the sample of urine. Urine samples taken from women that are menstruating can at times also yield positive results. This particular test is based largely on pseudoperoxidase activity of the patient’s hemoglobin which then catalyzes the reaction. The final resulting color can range anywhere from, either greenish-yellow all the way through to even bluish-green or to dark blue. The appearance of the green spots on a reagent test location can indicate a presence of the intact erythrocytes which are found in the urine.
When checking the protein levels this particular test is said to be based on the change in color of the indicator to tetrabromophenol blue. A positive reaction on the test can be indicated by the color changing from a yellow all to green and from then on to greenish-blue. The pH test of the sample of urine is actually based on the double indicators of bromothymol blue and methyl red which help in giving the large range of colors that cover the entire pH range of the urine sample. The colors can range from green to blue to orange to greenish yellow. This urine toxicology test will indicate the pH values that lie within the set range anywhere from 5 to 9. Some drugs like the ones used for heart disease and hypertension can cause the urine to become alkaline. To check the bilirubin levels, bilirubin is coupled with 2.4-dichlorobenzene diazonium salt along with a strong medium of acid. The color ranges from light tan all through to pinkish purple. If trace amounts of the bilirubin is found in urine sample then it is considered to be abnormal. Further tests and investigation will be done. It is always advisable to get any changes on a test sample stick shown to a doctor or a medical examiner for proper medical analysis and interpretation. At times a blood sample may also need to be taken to corroborate any trace elements that may be found in the urine.
Submitted by M T on March 8, 2010 at 10:59