Urinalysis and Body Fluids 6th Edition by Majorie DiLorenzo, Susan Strasinger

Exercise 42

Discuss the principle of the reagent strip test for urinary bilirubin, including possible sources of error.

Step 1 of 2

Reagent strip reaction of bilirubin:

Reagent strip reaction for bilirubin is performed to detect bilirubin in urine.

• The principle is diazo reaction. Bilirubin in urine reacts with 2, 4-dichloroaniline diazonium salt or 2, 6-dichlorobenzene-diazonium-tetrafluroborate in acid medium to give azodye which is pink to violet

• The tan color or pink to violet appears in the reagent strip indicates the presence of bilirubin

Interpretation:

• Bilirubin reagent strip reaction is difficult to interpret comparing to other strip reactions

• Negative, 1+, 2+, and 3+ or negative, small, moderate, and large is reported in result