Question

If urine dipstick is positive for blood but microscopic exam is negative for RBCs, what could be the possible reason?

1) The dipstick test is inaccurate
2) The microscopic exam is inaccurate
3) The blood in the urine is not from RBCs
4) The blood in the urine is from a source other than the urinary tract

Answer 1

When a urine dipstick test is positive for blood but the microscopic exam is negative for RBCs, it suggests that the blood in the urine is not from RBCs.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a urine dipstick test is positive for blood, but the microscopic examination is negative for red blood cells (RBCs), it suggests that the blood in the urine is not from RBCs. There are several possible reasons for this:

1. Microscopic exam limitations: The microscopic examination may have limitations in detecting low numbers of RBCs, or the RBCs may have been missed during the examination.
2. Non-RBC sources of blood: The blood in the urine may be from a source other than the urinary tract, such as bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract or menstruation.

Therefore, the most likely reason for the discrepancy between the positive dipstick test and negative microscopic exam is that the blood in the urine is not from RBCs.