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How accurate are urine dipsticks in the detection of albuminuria? To find out, Australian researchers performed dipstick testing (using Bayer Multistix) in spot urine specimens from a nationally representative sample of 11,000 adults. The reference standard was albumin–creatinine ratio (ACR), measured in the same urine specimens; prevalences of ACR ≥30 mg/g (any albuminuria) and ACR ≥300 mg/g (macroalbuminuria) were 6.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Dipstick results are shown in the accompanying table.
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The performance of dipstick urinalysis depends on both the threshold for a positive result (trace vs. 1+) and one's goal (detection of any albuminuria or macroalbuminuria). For example, a 1+ dipstick r…