Which finding indicates starch contamination in a urine sample?

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Multiple Choice

Which finding indicates starch contamination in a urine sample?

Starch contamination is indicated when you find starch granules in the urine sediment, which points to an external contamination of the sample rather than something arising from the urinary tract. Starch is not normally present in urine, so its appearance—often from starch-containing powders or powdered gloves—signals the sample was contaminated. In practice, starch granules can be confirmed by their response to iodine (blue-black with Lugol’s iodine) or by a Maltese cross pattern under polarized light. The other findings point to different conditions: ova suggest parasitic material, mucous is a normal component of some urine samples, and RBC casts indicate renal pathology.

Starch contamination is indicated when you find starch granules in the urine sediment, which points to an external contamination of the sample rather than something arising from the urinary tract. Starch is not normally present in urine, so its appearance—often from starch-containing powders or powdered gloves—signals the sample was contaminated. In practice, starch granules can be confirmed by their response to iodine (blue-black with Lugol’s iodine) or by a Maltese cross pattern under polarized light. The other findings point to different conditions: ova suggest parasitic material, mucous is a normal component of some urine samples, and RBC casts indicate renal pathology.

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