LEONARD A. ZWELLING, M.D.; JAMES E. BALOW, M.D.
Urine specific gravity is a measure of the mass of a urine sample compared with that of an equal volume of water. It thus reflects the total amount of solute dissolved in the urine. Hypersthenuria is seen in several clinical conditions associated with dehydration. In addition, substances not normally found in urine can cause an increase in specific gravity. These include protein, glucose, roentgenographic contrast material, dextran, or preservatives used in urine collection (1). Because of their high molecular weights, these substances can actually raise the urine specific gravity, even though large quantities tend to produce an osmotic diuresis. Thus
ZWELLING LA, BALOW JE. Hypersthenuria in High-Dose Carbenicillin Therapy. Ann Intern Med. ;89:225–226. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-2-225
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© 2018
Published: Ann Intern Med. 1978;89(2):225-226.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-2-225
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