What does hypersthenuric urine indicate about its specific gravity?

Hypersthenuric urine indicates that the specific gravity is greater than 1.010. This term is used to describe urine that has a higher concentration of solutes, which generally suggests that the urine is more concentrated. In clinical practice, hypersthenuria often occurs in cases of dehydration, where the kidneys are conserving water and producing a smaller volume of concentrated urine.

Specific gravity is a measure that reflects the concentration of solutes in urine; thus, if urine is hypersthenuric, it suggests a specific gravity that exceeds the baseline level of 1.010, often falling in the range typically seen in concentrated urine, which can be greater than 1.020 or even higher under certain conditions. This parameter is essential in differentiating between various medical conditions and understanding a patient's hydration status.