Urine Dipstick: A dipstick — a thin, plastic stick with strips of chemicals on it — is placed in the urine to detect abnormalities. The chemical strips change color if certain substances are present or if their levels are not normal. The color variation often is indicative of how severe the abnormality is. Urine dipsticks are another tool and indicator to measure a patient’s well-being. Its values should be included in the “whole patient” approach to the medical evaluation. A dipstick test checks for: