Which parameters are measured in the kidney test?

GetTested's kidney test is a simple home test that doesn't need to be sent to a lab for analysis, but provides an immediate result. The kidney test measures creatinine, protein, and specific gravity in the urine, and the test result is indicated by a visual comparison with a color chart on the packaging.

About the kidneys

Your kidneys filter waste products and excess water from your blood. The actual filtering units are tiny structures in the kidneys called nephrons. Each kidney has approximately one million nephrons. In most kidney diseases, the nephrons are damaged, and their ability to filter blood and produce urine is altered.

Common symptoms of impaired kidney function

In the early stages of kidney disease, you usually don't feel sick at all. As the kidney disease worsens, you may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Feeling tired
• Drowsiness or difficulty concentrating
• Loss of appetite / nausea and vomiting
• Swelling or stiffness of hands or feet
• Frequent or less frequent urination
• Muscle cramps (painful and involuntary muscle contractions)
• Darkening of the skin

Storage

Store at room temperature 15-30 °C. Do not store test strips in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not expose test strips to moisture, heat, or light before use. Use the test strip immediately after opening the foil pouch.

How to perform the kidney test

• Start by collecting urine in a glass or cup.
• Remove a test strip from the packaging, holding the end that is completely white and has no color square.
• Dip the colored part of the test strip into the urine glass for a maximum of one second.
• To remove excess urine, take out the test strip and gently tap it against the rim of the glass.
• Hold the test strip horizontally for 30-60 seconds. This allows the reaction to take place.
• Compare the result on the test strip with the color chart in the package.

Test limitations

Color development on the test strip may be influenced by substances that cause abnormal urine color, such as certain medications. Color development in the reaction zone may be masked, or a color reaction may occur in the reaction zone that can be visually interpreted as a false positive. Therefore, if in doubt, it is recommended to repeat the test after discontinuing the medication (after consulting a doctor).

• Protein: The minimum sensitivity of this test is achieved at 10-20 mg/dL protein in urine. A false negative result may occur with strongly buffered alkaline urine (pH 9). Result interpretation is also difficult with cloudy urine samples.
• Specific Gravity: Elevated specific gravity values may occur with moderate protein amounts (100-700 mg/dL); specific gravity increases with the amount of glucose in the urine.
• Creatinine: Low creatinine concentrations may be due to dilution.