A dipstick is concentration-dependent and insensitive to low-level albuminuria. A spot urine albumin-creatinine ratio corrects for urine concentration and gives a number that can be tracked.
Use it to stage CKD, to monitor patients on drugs that cause proteinuria, and to judge response to treatment with renin-angiotensin blockade or SGLT2 inhibitors.
- Measure a spot urine albumin-creatinine ratio rather than relying on a dipstick.
- Confirm a raised result on a repeat sample, as values vary day to day.
- Avoid testing during urinary infection, fever or after heavy exercise.
- Track the ratio over time on drugs known to cause proteinuria.
Why it matters
A number that can be tracked is what makes monitoring for drug-induced proteinuria meaningful.
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