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Article: Answering your questions on odd urine specific gravities, sendout handling fees, osmotic fragility method, and blood culture contamination rate. (Tips from the clinical experts).(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Medical Laboratory Observer
- Article date:
- December 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Nelson Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Odd urine specific gravities
Q: In our lab, when we have a specific gravity
<1.005, we check it out on a refractometer and then accept the refractometer results. Recently we have encountered a few specimens with negative glucose and negative protein that give refractometer results> 1.035 -- not just a little, but a lot. Two recent results were 1.092 and 1.104. Our policy is to dilute the urine with distilled water and repeat the test on the refractometer. Is there a drug or perhaps something used in x-ray testing that might cause such results? The patients did have radiologic procedures using contrast dyes. We use a Bayer Clinitek 200 for our dipstick testing.
A: When specific gravity readings greater than 1.035 by refractometer, accompanied by normal specific gravity by reagent strip are encountered, the presence of unusual solutes such as glucose, ...