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The urinalysis is the most popular and most frequently ordered urine test, right after the blood count. Even though it is very simple and cheap, it can tell a lot about our health. The test identifies problems with the kidneys or urinary tract. It is also recommended for patients with suspected diabetes or pancreatitis. What else can you read from it and when is it worth doing?
The urine includes:
- 96 percent water
- 2,5 percent nitrogen metabolic products (mainly urea),
- 1,5 percent mineral salts and minimal amounts of other substances, such as bile pigments (they give the urine its color and smell).
A urine test can help diagnose problems with the kidneys, liver, and urinary tract. It allows you to assess the predisposition to the formation of stones, and also facilitates the diagnosis of diabetes, jaundice and pancreatitis.
It is also useful, among others in the diagnosis of adrenal gland diseases, in monitoring the level of calcium, vitamin C and urea in the body, to detect specific markers of various disease processes as well as to assess the need for antioxidants.
A urine test is performed:
- in the case of suspected urinary tract infection (typical symptoms suggesting such a suspicion include: pain or burning when urinating, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, fever, diffuse pain in the lower abdomen, pressure on the bladder),
- to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment of kidney stones, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, kidney or liver disease.
Urine Testing – Preparation for collecting a urine sample
For the test results to be reliable, follow these rules in the 24 hours prior to urination for analysis.
- If for some reason you are taking medications and the doctor ordering the urine test does not decide otherwise, use them according to the usual schedule,
- Avoid chewing gum and taking breath freshening preparations, and do not consume alcohol or large amounts of coffee or tea (black and green).
- Consumption of beets, currants, rhubarb, blueberries and larger amounts of carrots prior to testing may cause discoloration of the urine.
- Avoid strenuous effort before urinating for testing.
- Women should notify their urine test doctor if the urine test is due just before or during menstruation. In this case, it may be necessary to postpone the test to another day.
- Before testing your urine, your doctor may advise you to stop taking certain medications that change the color of your urine. These are, among others vitamin B, phenazopyridine, phenytoin. If you are taking diuretics, be sure to inform the doctor who orders you.
- A specially prepared plastic container (usually in the form of a cup with a lid) is used to store the urine sample – you can buy it at any pharmacy.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before collecting a urine sample.
- Also wash the skin around the outer opening of the urethra. To do this, the man should retract the foreskin and then wash the entire penis. A woman should use one hand to stretch the skin of the pubic mound upwards, and with the other wash the area around the mouth of the urethra (necessarily from the front to the back, i.e. towards the anus).
- Remove the lid from the container and place it with the opening facing up. Avoid touching the inner surface of the container with your hands.
- Only urine passed in the morning (for the first time) should be used for the test, not earlier than after 3 a.m. The first small amount of urine should be passed to the toilet, and then place the container so that it is filled with urine. Intimate areas should not touch the edges of the container. The container should only contain urine.
- Urine should fill at least 1/2 of the container. You can put the rest of the urine in your bladder into the toilet.
- Screw the lid tightly and then put the container in the plastic bag / bag to prevent urine from spilling out during the transport of the sample to the laboratory.
- Ideally, the sample should be delivered to the laboratory within 1 hour of collection. Avoid exposing it to sunlight (e.g. placing it on a windowsill).
Mocuś – a set for collecting urine for infants makes it much easier to collect urine in young children who use diapers. If we want to perform a urine test on an infant, it is worth buying such a kit on Medonet Market.
Color
- Standard: from straw to amber.
- Abnormalities. Many foods and medications change the color of the urine. Discolored urine may indicate chronic kidney disease or poorly controlled diabetes. Dark urine can be evidence of dehydration. Red color may indicate blood in the urine.
Clarity
- Standard: transparent.
- Abnormalities. Cloudy urine can be evidence of pus (white blood cells), bacteria, fungi, chemical crystals, mucus, or a parasitic infection.
Specific gravity
- Standard: 1.005-1.030.
- Abnormalities. Very high specific gravity may result from high concentration of urine due to the intake of too little fluid, excessive loss of fluids from the body (persistent vomiting, excessive sweating, fever, diarrhea), loss of some compounds in the urine (e.g. glucose or protein). Low specific gravity values are evidence of thinning of the urine from excessive fluid intake, severe kidney disease, or the use of diuretics.
pH
- Standard: 4.6-8.0.
- Abnormalities. Certain foods (citrus fruits and dairy products) and medications (such as those used in gastro-esophageal reflux disease may affect the pH of the urine. High alkaline pH may be due to vomiting, kidney disease, certain urinary tract infections, or asthma. Low pH (acidic) may appear as a result of severe lung disease (emphysema), poorly controlled diabetes, severe diarrhea, dehydration, starvation, excessive alcohol intake, consumption of window de-icer (contains ethylene glycol).
Protein
- Normal: not present in urine.
- Abnormalities. Protein in the urine may be due to kidney disease, infection, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, systemic lupus, glomerulonephritis, heart failure, leukemia, poisoning (lead or mercury), pre-eclampsia (in pregnant women or up to 6 weeks postpartum) ).
Glucose
- Normal: not present in urine. The exception is pregnant women in which small amounts of glucose are allowed.
- Abnormalities. Intravenous fluid intake may cause the presence of glucose in the urine. Glucose is also present in the urine in poorly controlled diabetes, adrenal, liver or kidney disease, brain damage and some poisoning.
Ketone bodies
- Normal: not present in urine.
- Abnormalities. The presence of ketone bodies in the urine may indicate poorly controlled diabetes, a very low carbohydrate diet, starvation, or an eating disorder (e.g. anorexia or bulimia). They are also found in alcoholics and into poisoning with isopropranol alcohol. Ketone bodies are often found in the urine of people who have not eaten for at least 18 hours. This situation can happen during the illness, when the patient does not eat for several days and vomits. Low levels of ketones in the urine, on the other hand, sometimes occur in healthy pregnant women.
Analiza mikroskopowa
- Standard. There are no red or white blood cells in the urine or a small number of them in the field of view (WP). There are no bacteria, fungi, parasites or epithelial cells present. Single crystals are occasionally observed.
Abnormalities
The presence of red blood cells in the urine may be due to kidney or bladder damage, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, glomerulonephritis, kidney or bladder cancer, systemic lupus. White blood cells (pus) in the urine may be a sign of a urinary tract infection, a bladder tumor, inflammation of the kidneys, systemic lupus or an infection: in women – vagina, in men – around the penis.
Depending on the type of rollers present in the urine, the examination can identify a type of nephritis or destruction of the glomeruli, poisoning with heavy metals (lead or mercury), heart failure or a bacterial infection.
A large number of crystals or the presence of certain types of crystals in the urine may indicate kidney damage, kidney stones, or a metabolic disorder. Certain medications can also cause crystals in the urine.
The presence of bacteria, fungal cells or parasites in the urine indicates a urinary tract infection. On the other hand, the presence of epithelial cells indicates contamination of the sample submitted for analysis. However, it is not the basis for any diagnosis. In this case, your doctor may recommend that you urinate again for testing.