acetone in urine test, a test for the presence of dimethylketone in the urine of patients, used as a laboratory indication of ketosis and the severity of diabetes mellitus. Chemically treated test paper strips or sticks are exposed to urine. If acetone is present in the urine as the result of the incomplete breakdown of fatty and amino acids in the body, the test strips change color. A similar test uses a compound added directly to a urine sample.
