Albusticks

[Guest guest]

Thanks to all the posters for the helpful info I have gotten from

this group. I will keep you all in my prayers !! My daughter has been

testing the first urine of the day with an Albustick. The stick turns

a deeper shade of green as the amount of albumin(??)increases. The

test determines from 0-1000 units (??) of albumen. My daughter has

had readings from 30-100, 100 when she first got home from the

hospital and 30 lately. Can anyone tell me what this test is

measuring and how the units of the test, 0-1000, relate to some

quantitative amount of kidney function. Thanks in advance.

She will do a 24 hour urine colection at the end of the month and

goes back to her ped. neph. in early Feb.

Best wishes to all,

Dan

[Guest guest]

You can't determine anything about kidney function from using an albustick.

Albusticks are intended to measure albumen, which is useful in diabetes.

Unfortunately, it isn't of much significance for IgAN, since albumen is just

one kind of protein, and it is measured in terms of micro-albuminuria. And

dipsticks are really just a fairly gross measure anyway. The 24-hour urine

collection is what will tell the tale (in grams of protein per day).

Pierre

Albusticks

> Thanks to all the posters for the helpful info I have gotten from

> this group. I will keep you all in my prayers !! My daughter has been

> testing the first urine of the day with an Albustick. The stick turns

> a deeper shade of green as the amount of albumin(??)increases. The

> test determines from 0-1000 units (??) of albumen. My daughter has

> had readings from 30-100, 100 when she first got home from the

> hospital and 30 lately. Can anyone tell me what this test is

> measuring and how the units of the test, 0-1000, relate to some

> quantitative amount of kidney function. Thanks in advance.

>

> She will do a 24 hour urine colection at the end of the month and

> goes back to her ped. neph. in early Feb.

> Best wishes to all,

> Dan

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Pierre,

Thanks for the reply. My daughter's urine never appears foamy, so we

couldn't figure out why the albustick was giving a significant

reading (significant according to the color strip on the box). There

seems to be many nuances to this condition, its good to hear from as

many informed people as possible. I can see I really need to get

knowledgeable about this condition quick.

Thanks again, Dan

> You can't determine anything about kidney function from using an

albustick.

> Albusticks are intended to measure albumen, which is useful in

diabetes.

> Unfortunately, it isn't of much significance for IgAN, since

albumen is just

> one kind of protein, and it is measured in terms of micro-

albuminuria. And

> dipsticks are really just a fairly gross measure anyway. The 24-

hour urine

> collection is what will tell the tale (in grams of protein per day).

>

> Pierre

>

> Albusticks

>

>

> > Thanks to all the posters for the helpful info I have gotten from

> > this group. I will keep you all in my prayers !! My daughter has

been

> > testing the first urine of the day with an Albustick. The stick

turns

> > a deeper shade of green as the amount of albumin(??)increases. The

> > test determines from 0-1000 units (??) of albumen. My daughter has

> > had readings from 30-100, 100 when she first got home from the

> > hospital and 30 lately. Can anyone tell me what this test is

> > measuring and how the units of the test, 0-1000, relate to some

> > quantitative amount of kidney function. Thanks in advance.

> >

> > She will do a 24 hour urine colection at the end of the month and

> > goes back to her ped. neph. in early Feb.

> > Best wishes to all,

> > Dan

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

You're welcome Dan.

Albumin is the " smallest " of the proteins, and it's the first to appear as

micro-albuminuria. In other words, it's the first to leak into the urine.

This is why it's useful to monitor for this as an early sign of diabetic

nephropathy. As far as I know, in the case of IgAN, albumin will usually be

present anyway, and it isn't particularly significant to find it there.

There are similar dipsticks to measure proteinuria though. Most doctors

would say that there really is no need to measure proteinuria at home in

between follow-up appointments.

Pierre

Albusticks

> >

> >

> > > Thanks to all the posters for the helpful info I have gotten from

> > > this group. I will keep you all in my prayers !! My daughter has

> been

> > > testing the first urine of the day with an Albustick. The stick

> turns

> > > a deeper shade of green as the amount of albumin(??)increases. The

> > > test determines from 0-1000 units (??) of albumen. My daughter has

> > > had readings from 30-100, 100 when she first got home from the

> > > hospital and 30 lately. Can anyone tell me what this test is

> > > measuring and how the units of the test, 0-1000, relate to some

> > > quantitative amount of kidney function. Thanks in advance.

> > >

> > > She will do a 24 hour urine colection at the end of the month and

> > > goes back to her ped. neph. in early Feb.

> > > Best wishes to all,

> > > Dan

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Albustix measure albumin (which constitutes about half of the total

protein in your bloodstream) and it does so fairly indirectly.

Albumin acts as a buffer in certain conditions and the effects of

buffers can be measured with pH paper. Albustix are basically a

fairly sophisticated pH paper loaded up with even more buffers that

compete with albumin (if it is present) to change the pH paper color.

When using the sticks, you must dip them and blot the edge to remove

excess fluid and then observe for a color change at the appropriate

time. the color change on most stix is from a yellow-green

(negative) to a blue-green (positive) and can be very difficult to

properly interpret. You can adversely affect the results by doing

things like holding the strip in the urine stream (this will wash

away many of the active buffers needed for proper measurement).

These work well as a screen....telling you if there is a lot of

protein present or a little (or none). Don't get too excited about

changes from one sample to another....main thing you're watching for

is a trend of ALL high results (not good) or all low results

(celebratory dance required). generally it's fairly difficult to

tell the difference from 0 thru 100 mg/dl reliably...treat them all

as low or normal results. When you start seeing 250, 500 or 1000 (or

2000) mg/dl results, make sure and contact your physician.

>Pierre,

>Thanks for the reply. My daughter's urine never appears foamy, so we

>couldn't figure out why the albustick was giving a significant

>reading (significant according to the color strip on the box). There

>seems to be many nuances to this condition, its good to hear from as

>many informed people as possible. I can see I really need to get

>knowledgeable about this condition quick.

>

>Thanks again, Dan

>

>

>

>

>> You can't determine anything about kidney function from using an

>albustick.

>> Albusticks are intended to measure albumen, which is useful in

>diabetes.

>> Unfortunately, it isn't of much significance for IgAN, since

>albumen is just

>> one kind of protein, and it is measured in terms of micro-

>albuminuria. And

>> dipsticks are really just a fairly gross measure anyway. The 24-

>hour urine

>> collection is what will tell the tale (in grams of protein per day).

>>

>> Pierre

>>

>> Albusticks

>>

>>

>> > Thanks to all the posters for the helpful info I have gotten from

>> > this group. I will keep you all in my prayers !! My daughter has

>been

>> > testing the first urine of the day with an Albustick. The stick

>turns

>> > a deeper shade of green as the amount of albumin(??)increases. The

>> > test determines from 0-1000 units (??) of albumen. My daughter has

>> > had readings from 30-100, 100 when she first got home from the

>> > hospital and 30 lately. Can anyone tell me what this test is

>> > measuring and how the units of the test, 0-1000, relate to some

>> > quantitative amount of kidney function. Thanks in advance.

>> >

>> > She will do a 24 hour urine colection at the end of the month and

>> > goes back to her ped. neph. in early Feb.

>> > Best wishes to all,

>> > Dan

>> >

>> >

>> >