How to Check Urine for Glucose and Ketones

Depending on your child’s situation or diagnosis, you may be asked to check their urine for glucose and ketones. These tips can help you. 

If your child does not wear diapers 

Materials needed:  

• Prescribed urine test strip 
• Watch or clock with a second hand 
• Urine cup 

Steps to follow:  

1. Wash hands with soap and dry well or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
2. Collect a fresh urine sample in a clean, dry cup.  
3. Open the Keto-Diastix bottle, or the bottle of test strips ordered, and remove 1 test strip. (The first time the bottle is opened, record the date opened on the bottle in ink. The test strips should not be used after 6 months from that date.) 
4. Replace the bottle cap tightly. 
5. Do not touch the test areas of the strip.  
6. Dip the test areas of the strip in the urine.  
7. Allow excess urine to drip off the test strip. Then begin timing.  
8. To read the ketone and glucose results, observe the change in color of the Keto-Diastix, or the test strips ordered.  
9. Compare it to the results chart on the bottle.  
10. Read the ketone results at 15 seconds, or as directed on the strips ordered. 
11. Read the glucose results at 30 seconds, or the bottle of the test strips ordered. 

If your child wears diapers 

Materials needed:  

• Prescribed urine test strip 
• Watch or clock with a second hand 
• 4–2”x2” gauze pads  
• Scissors 
• Non-sterile gloves 

Steps to follow:  

1. Wash hands with soap and dry well or use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer. 
2. Do not use creams, powders, diaper wipes or ointments of any kind during urine collection. The use of such items will interfere with urine measurements. 
3. Place 4–2”x2” gauze pads in diaper. 
4. When the gauze in the diaper has collected urine, put on the gloves, and remove the wet gauze. 
5. Place the Keto-Diastix, or the test strips ordered, against the wet gauze.  
6. Begin timing.  
7. Do not squeeze urine from the gauze onto the test strip. 
8. To read the ketone and glucose results, observe the change in color of the Keto-Diastix, or the test strips ordered.  
9. Compare it to the results chart on the bottle.  
10. Read the ketone results at 15 seconds, or as directed on the strips ordered. 
11. Read the glucose results at 30 seconds, or the bottle of the test strips ordered. 

Tips to remember

• Do not leave the gauze in your child’s diaper overnight. The gauze may irritate your child’s skin. Also, the test results may not be accurate if the urine sample is too old.  
• Placing the gauze in your child’s diaper and checking it with normal diaper changes should give accurate urine glucose and ketone readings. 

When to check your child's urine for glucose or ketones 

Your child’s care team will tell you how many times a day to check the urine. 

How to read the test results 

Look at the Glucose Color Chart and the Ketone Color Chart on the bottle. 

The Glucose Chart is the top chart. It will be like this example: 

Use the top marker on the strip to compare the results of glucose to the boxes found on the Keto-Diastix bottle, or prescribed urine test strips. Read the result at exactly 30 seconds, or as directed on the test strip document. 

 The Ketone Chart is the bottom chart. It will be like this example: 

Use the bottom marker on the strip to compare the results of ketones to the chart on the Keto-Diastix bottle, or prescribed urine test strip.  Read this result at exactly 15 seconds, or as directed by the test strip used.

What to do with the results