microalbumin test

[sylvester12]

can somebody give me a document for the importance of quantitative test for the microalbumin  to know the exact values(some labs still using strips :why should they replaceto quantitative ?)

[nana63]

Hello, My 13 yr old daughter just got her results back from taking the microalbumin and it came back positive her number was 45 normal range is under 30 they want her to retake it again to make sure its still showing positive what does that mean for her, they told me not to worry so much it might be because her sugar has been so high in the 300"s and they just took her off the pump and she is back to getting shots for now.  Concerned mom and dad.  


Nanette

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Hello Sylvester,
As you may know, we're all volunteers here and none of us is medical professional nor lab technician.  We all have considerable experience with diabetes and it's from that perspective I'll attempt to the question I think you're asking.

Test strips that change color to reveal the amount of a substance in a liquid (for example, sugar in urine, ketones in urine, certain meds/drugs in urine, high-school "litmus paper" tests for the amount of acid or base), give a general indication of how much of that substance is present in the liquid.

The tests that give an exact number (such as a modern blood sugar meter) gives a more precise indication.  While all testing equipment and chemicals provide information within a range of error (for example, a BG test of 100 on our home meter might result when the real BG is say ... from 85 - 115 or so).  Nonetheless, as we get accustomed to how we "feel" when the meter gives a reading, we can use those readings to fine tune our control.  

I would think that since microalbumin is an early marker for potential kidney trouble, our docs are interested to know precise numbers ... that way, they can detect trends over time.  For example, if over a period of many months a person's microalbumin reading is "low," the doc only knows that it's low.  If, however, the doc sees specific numbers, s/he will know if the levels are increasing or decreasing or remaining stable over time.

If you'd like to read more about the test and how it's used, visit this site (the webaddress may stretch over 2 lines here, but put it into a single line to visit it):
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/microalbumin/test.html

I hope this is helpful.  You've asked an important question -- both for folks with diabetes and students studying about it!