If you’ve found ketones in your urine, go and have something to eat which includes some carbohydrate and test again after 30 minutes to 1 hour. Ketones can be present in diabetes but the usual cause for them is hunger.

Ketones - at 40 seconds look at the ketone square-if ketones are present then they may have changed to a dark purple. Any amount of glucose in the urine needs further investigation by your GP – you may be diabetic.Ģ. If there is any glucose (or sugar) present it will change colour, possibly to a dark brown. Glucose - at 30 seconds look at the colour of the glucose square. Compare the colours with those on the colour chart.ġ. Dip one multistix into the sample, hold for a couple of seconds, remove the stick and knock off the drips. To use a stick, collect a sample of urine into clean jar. Make a record of your reading on a piece of paper for future reference. You need to check the reading for each substance at the correct time so be prepared to measure the time accurately, i.e. If the sticks are not these colours to start, then they may have gone off and you shouldn't use them. For example, glucose should be a greeny-blue, ketones a pale pink, specific gravity a yellow, blood a pale yellow, pH an orange, protein a pale-yellow, nitrites a buff colour and leucocytes a pale cream colour. The colours on the stick should correspond with the colours on the left-hand side of the chart (except for specific gravity, which matches the colour on the right-hand side of the chart). A full pot of 25 sticks can be kept for up to 12 months, but check the “use by' date.

Do not touch the coloured squares, not because they are poisonous, but because moisture on your fingers may spoil the test. Heat, cold, moisture and light will spoil the sticks. The dipsticks should be kept at all times in the sealed container. Urine testing should always be undertaken in any case where the diagnosis is in doubt. All these are clues to disease of the kidneys, urinary tract and other problems such as diabetes. Multistix Reagent strips can be used to test urine for glucose, ketones, specific gravity, blood, pH, protein, nitrites and leucocytes.

(These can be bought from my online shop here - Multistix )

Bayer multistix 10 sg color chart