Have we forgotten the importance of urine test trips?

Urinalysis is a simple and cheap test and often the first port of call to offering some early indications about what may be wrong with a patient – however, it can often be a misconception that all test strips ‘do the same job’.Urine test strips are a common product found in the corner of doctor’s examination rooms, clinics and hospitals up and down the country and their importance is often undervalued. Although there are many different test strip brands available, healthcare practitioners won’t give much thought as to the type they are using; and with the many tasks they need to perform, why should they?

TYPE OF TEST STRIPS

The market for urine dipsticks is vast, with numerous varieties that can lead to confusion. When one type of strip is used, followed by an alternative , it can lead to errors in reporting. Each manufacturer will have different reporting parameters which should be referred to. The main errors can occur when strips have different timing requirements for different reagent pads or when one strip type is being reported against the scale of an alternative product.

COST OF STRIPS

With urine dipsticks being widely available from a number of online distributors, as well as known manufacturers, it can be difficult to ascertain which test strips offer the best value for money. After all, most areas are trying to make budgets stretch further. Buying cheap test strips can be seen to be a quick saving but in practise it’s a false economy if they’re not from an established manufacturer. Many cheaper brands, for example, have not been quality checked to ensure that they are reporting to the same parameter levels as superior strips, colour changes on the pads may not be clear enough to be distinguishable, and they may have a much shorter expiration date.

STORAGE

Test strips are pretty low maintenance items to have on the shelves and are straightforward to store and use. However, a urine test is almost pointless if you are not going to use them correctly, which includes storing them correctly. For example, making sure that tops are placed back on cannisters immediately after testing and paying attention to the environment and expiration date. If operating in a moist or humid temperature, move the strips to a cool and dry area.  If any packs contain sticks that look to have discoloured, they should be discarded, and another pack used. If you need advice about this, speak to an expert.

ASCORBIC ACID PROTECTED

Today’s diet is often high in Vitamin C from food and supplements which can cause false negatives for blood and glucose. Using a urine test strip that is protected from Ascorbic Acid will ensure that you can have confidence in your results.

FURTHER ADVANTAGES ARE AVAILABLE BY USING A URINE TEST STRIP READER

To stop errors from visual reading test strips, using a urine test strip reader is advisable. Such readers will ensure that you have a level of regulatory compliance and assurance in your testing. Modern urine dipstick readers are easy to maintain and integrate into daily practice and will be simple and effective in use. They will flag abnormal results and print the results clearly so that they can be shown to the practitioner and added to patient notes. Additionally, the most efficient readers can be connected to middleware for automatic reporting to LIMS/HIS systems, as well as being operated as a standalone item. They have quality settings for governance and traceability of results and ensure that QC checks are run regularly. They also ensure that the most accurate, correct, in-date test strips are used and the correct timings are employed – removing any errors from colour changes that are not immediately clear to the eye. Overall, the automated reading of test strips offers a full audit trail and traceability of results errors from transcription.

For more information  and assistance with urinalysis please get in touch. From test strips and QCs to the Urilyzer 100 PRO analyser – the compact and modern device with onboard printer and a number of security features to aid governance and operator and patient management (the first in the UK with PPID!) contact us today.