Trinder spot test
medical diagnostic test
The Trinder spot test is a diagnostic test used in medicine to determine exposure to salicylates, particularly to salicylic acid. The test employs the Trinder reagent (a.k.a. Trinder solution) which is mixed with a patient's urine. The colour change, resulting from the Trinder reaction, is immediate, enabling rapid bedside assessment.
The Trinder solution/reagent is a pre-mixed solution of 10% ferric chloride. It can be prepared by combining 40 g of mercuric chloride and 40 g of ferric nitrate in 850 ml of type II deionized water, and then adding 10 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid to the solution and diluting to a volume of 1 litre with more type II deionized water.
The test for the Trinder reaction is to mix 1 ml of urine with 1 ml of the Trinder reagent in a test tube. The test is positive if a colour change results. The specific colour changes are:
blue or purple
positive test
no change
negative test
brown
false-positive test caused by the presence of phenothiazines
The test has a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 74% for identifying patients whose salicylate concentrations are greater than 30 mg per decilitre (2.17 mmol/L). False positive concentrations (2.8 to 14.3 mg per decilitre) have been reported to occur in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia, premature neonates, and children who are seriously ill (e.g.
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