Does Proteinuria Measured by Dipstick Method Reflect Reality in Patients with Preeclampsia?

Abstract

Aim: The aim of our study is to compare the proteinuria levels measured by dipstick in complete urine analysis at admission with the proteinuria levels measured in 24-hour collected urine for patients hospitalized with a presumptive diagnosis of preeclampsia. By doing so, we intend to review the reliability of the widely used dipstick proteinuria in patients with preeclampsia. Material ve Metod: Urine specimens were obtained from 70 pregnant women visiting high-risk maternity centers at a third-level healthcare institution. Patients were divided into four groups based on their urine dipstick screening test results: negative, +1, +2, +3, and higher. Proteinuria was considered to be present if the urinary dipstick test showed +1 or higher, while protein levels measured in the 24-hour urine collection were considered to indicate proteinuria if they exceeded 300 mg. The degree of correlation between the urine dipstick test and both 24-hour urine samples and spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (Pr/Cr) was compared. Results: The mean age of the 70 preeclampsia patients in the study group was 31.7±6.2, and the mean gestational age was 32.5±4.6. The dipstick test was found to have a sensitivity of 81.4% and a specificity of 85.2%. The dipstick test results were grouped as 0, +1, +2, +3, and higher. Statistically significant differences were detected among the groups in terms of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, the amount of protein in the 24-hour urine, and spot urine Pr/Cr (p=0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). When examining the correlation between the urine dipstick test and both 24-hour urine samples and spot urine Pr/Cr, a moderate correlation was found (r=0.65, p<0.001, r=0.55, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: In hypertensive pregnant individuals, urine dipstick tests demonstrated inadequate performance in ruling out preeclampsia. Consequently, according to our investigation, we posit that the dipstick urine test can be employed as a routine and dependable diagnostic tool for preeclampsia due to its rapid results and cost-effectiveness.