Evaluation of rapid diagnostic methods of urinary protein estimation in patients of preeclampsia of advanced gestational age.

BACKGROUND 24-h urine protein is traditionally used as a gold standard method for protein estimation. Because of the operational difficulty, there is the necessity to use rapid, convenient, and reliable method of proteinuria estimation. AIM We carried out this study to compare the two rapid methods of protein estimation: dipstick method and spot urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) with that of 24-h urine protein in patients of preeclampsia with advanced gestational period. METHODOLOGY The values of proteinuria estimated by dipstick method and spot UPCR were compared with that of 24-h urine protein. The strength of correlation was measured by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). A p value of <0.05 is considered to be statistically significant. The most discriminant spot UPCR value for detecting significant proteinuria (≥300 mg/day) was determined by plotting receiver-operator curve (ROC). RESULT The value of spot UPCR strongly correlated with 24-h urine protein (r = 0.88 with p value <0.001). The most discriminant spot UPCR value for detecting significant proteinuria (≥300 mg/day) was 0.3. The estimation of proteinuria by dipstick method was poorly correlated with 24-h urine protein with r = -0.09. CONCLUSION Spot UPCR can be used as a rapid and reliable alternative method in preference to 24-h proteinuria in patients of preeclampsia of advanced gestational age.