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Bernard Rudensky, MD
Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem

JAMA. 1981;246(10):1089.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Recently, in our laboratory, we had begun seeing many urine test results that were positive for protein, despite all other values, including urine sediment, being entirely normal. The positive proteins were obtained using the dipstick method, which is based on a pH indicator color change of tetrabromphenol blue, occurring when protein in the urine overcomes the buffering capacity of the system. The sulfosalicylic acid test for protein was negative with these urines, and in the heat test a precipitate was formed that dissolved on cooling. All of these factors led us to search for some possible cause of false-positive proteinuria.

Free and Free¹ list several known factors causing false-positive dipstick readings for protein. These were excluded, since we obtained positive results even with acidic urines, and quaternary ammonium salts had not been used as disinfectants in our hospital for many years.

The cause became apparent when we . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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