HEAT test for URINARY PROTEIN....Method of doing and reading at HOME

To perform the heat test, two thirds of a test tube is filled with urine. It is held at a slant and the lower half of the tube is heated until boiling point.

If turbidity appears, two drops of 10% acetic acid (vinergar) are added to exclude the possible presence of phosphates. If this turbidity due to phosphate, turbidity will disappear after adding acid. The degree of turbidity is read against a background of black print. Proteinuria is graded according to the degree of turbidity.

Grading of proteinuria

Nil -          no turbidity

Trace -     slight turbidity with no difficulty in reading the print

+ -             clouding of the print but possible to read the print

++ -          cannot read the print but can notice black

+++ -        cannot notice black

++++ -      cannot notice black and with precipitate

The sulphosalicylic acid test also a recommended test to detect proteinuria.

The sulphosalicylic acid test is performed by adding 2 drops of 30% sulphosalicylic acid to 5 ml of urine in a test tube and observing the resulting turbidity. Grading of proteinuria is similar to the heat test.