de Buys Roessingh AS Drukker A Guignard JP 2001 AIM To evaluate the reliability of dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity (U-SG). METHODS Fresh urine specimens were tested for urine pH and osmolality (U-pH, U-Osm) by a pH meter and an osmometer, and for U-SG by three different methods (refractometry, automatic readout of a dipstick (Clinitek-50), and (visual) change of colour of the dipstick). RESULTS The correlations between the visual U-SG dipstick measurements and U-SG determined by a refractometer and the comparison of Clinitek((R))-50 dipstick U-SG measurements with U-Osm were less than optimal, showing very wide scatter of values. Only the U-SG refractometer values and U-Osm had a good linear correlation. The tested dipstick was unreliable for the bedside determination of U-SG, even after correction for U-pH, as recommended by the manufacturer. CONCLUSIONS Among the bedside determinations, only refractometry gives reliable U-SG results. Dipstick U-SG measurements should be abandoned. application/pdf https://sonar.ch/global/documents/93557 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1136/adc.85.2.155 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/11466191 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Archives of disease in childhood. - 2001 Humans Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Osmolar Concentration Point-of-Care Systems Reagent Kits, Diagnostic Refractometry Reproducibility of Results Specific Gravity Urinalysis Dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity are unreliable. http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501