A Simple Dip of a Stick

I love getting urine from my patients. I know that sounds crazy (and gross) but as an ND with the simple dip of a urine sample I can quickly assess the internal aspect of a patient. The dipstick tells me how hydrated or dehydrated a person is, if they are acidic or alkaline. It also checks for white blood cells (also known as leukocytes), blood or protein to tell me if there is a urinary tract infection (UTI) or glucose if diabetic. All this with a simple dip of a stick. Baby Bell has had her share of UTI's (my next post will discuss this) and getting a urine sample used to be quite challenging. Now that she pees in a potty I can check her urine so easily! Today she was well hydrated and alkaline.