What does an increase in specific gravity of urine typically indicate?

An increase in the specific gravity of urine typically indicates dehydration. Specific gravity is a measure of the concentration of solutes in urine; as the body becomes dehydrated, the kidneys conserve water, resulting in more concentrated urine. This increased concentration of solutes will elevate the specific gravity values.

In a well-hydrated individual, the urine will have a lower specific gravity due to the higher volume of water, diluting the concentration of solutes. Conversely, excessive fluid intake would dilute the urine further, resulting in a lower specific gravity rather than an increase. While kidney infections can affect urine concentration, they do not consistently lead to a straightforward increase in specific gravity like dehydration does. Therefore, the correlation between increased specific gravity and dehydration is well-established in clinical pathology.