Staining the urinary sediment
Sternheimer-Malbin staining solution
The Sternheimer-Malbin supravital staining solution allows for immediate staining of the sediment elements. This coloration is fast, convenient, and easy to execute. It accentuates the contrast and color of blood cells and casts. It does not interfere with polarized light or phase contrast examination or with other stains such as Sudan red.
| Gentian Violet solution | Safranin solution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal violet | 3 g | Safranin | 250 mg | |
| Ethanol 95% | 20 mL | Ethanol 95% | 10 mL | |
| Ammonium oxalate | 800 mg | Bidistilled water | 80 mL | |
| Bidistilled water | 80 mL | |||
Mix 3 parts of Gentian Violet solution with 97 parts of Safranin solution and filter. Repeat filtration after 2 weeks. The mixture is stable for 3 months at room temperature in a dark glass bottle.
Lipid staining with Sudan red
The identification of fat may be important for diagnosis. Sediment already stained with the solution Sternheimer-Malbin can be colored in red with Sudan red. Add 2 to 3 drops of Sudan red diluted in alcohol at 70% to the sediment and wait for 5 minutes before microscope reading. All lipids and oval fat bodies are colored red.
Lipid droplets in a sediment stained with Sudan red.