What is a urinalysis?
A urinalysis is a test of your urine, used to check overall health, diagnose a medical condition, or monitor an existing medical condition. Urine tests are also used for pregnancy or drug screenings, but these tests are included in a typical urinalysis.
Urinalysis results are usually available soon and are commonly processed locally since most labs provide this service.
What does a urinalysis test for?
A urine test can provide a surprising amount of information about body processes and health. The specific substances found in urine that are tested for are:
· pH value – if the urine is more or less acidic than normal, this can be an indicator of problems with the urinary system or diet.
· Protein – should not be present. If present, can indicate hypertension or nephritis.
· Sugar (glucose) – can be an indicator of diabetes.
· Nitrite – Usually not found in urine. Can be an indicator of infection.
· Ketones – A sign of high blood sugar, such as with diabetes.
· Bilirubin – Can indicate liver issues. Typically not found in the urine.
· Urobilinogen – product of the breakdown of bilirubin.
· Red blood cells – indicates blood in the urine, which could be from a variety of problems in the urinary system.
· White blood cells – can indicate the presence of infection.
How do I prepare for a urine test?
Before getting a urine test, it is important to be hydrated. However, do not drink excess water. If you drink a lot before the test, your urine can be very diluted, which would alter the results. Try not to urinate right before your test time, so that it will be easier for you to provide a sample.
When you provide a urine sample, you will be asked to urinate in a cup. It is important that you use the provided sanitary wipes to clean the urethra and surrounding area well, prior to urinating. This prevents contamination of the sample from bacteria that may be present on the skin. Contaminants can produce false results that would not be useful.
To provide the sample, you will be instructed to use a clean catch method. This means that you will urinate a small amount in the toilet, then provide a sample in the container (it needs to be about one-third to one-half full), and then finish urinating in the toilet. This “mid-stream” sample will have the least bacterial contamination possible.
What is a normal urine report?
A urinalysis report usually lists the normal ranges for each value beside the results. If that value is out of range, it will indicate that by a High (H) or Low (L) by the number. The report contains two sections – the visual exam, and the chemical exam.
The visual exam is what can be seen with the naked eye by the laboratory specialist when observing the sample. The qualities assessed will be clarity, color, and any other qualities observed like foaminess, or odor. These visual observations are important because they can provide diagnostic data. For example, cloudy urine can be a sign of infection, and red or brown urine can be a sign of blood or reveal certain drugs (medications) that were taken. Normal color ranges from light yellow to amber, and urine should be clear, not cloudy.
The chemical exam checks for microscopic substances and uses either a dipstick or a microscope to find the presence of them. These are things that cannot be readily seen with the naked eye. Each substance has a specific range of numbers that represent “normal.” You will be able to see if your numbers are within that range or outside of it by looking at the report. Your doctor will explain in depth what the abnormal ranges mean, and if they are of concern. Remember, abnormal numbers can sometimes be a result of dehydration, a contaminant, or a temporary condition.
What does a positive urinalysis mean?
A positive urinalysis means that something abnormal was found on it. A negative result means everything was ok. When you receive notification that your urinalysis was positive, your doctor will schedule time to discuss it with you and what the next steps are. Many times there will need to be follow-up tests to gather more information before a diagnosis can be made.
What should not be in urine?
Of the substances tested for in a urinalysis, many of them should not be present at all. These are protein, glucose, nitrites, ketones, bilirubin, urobilinogen, red blood cells, and white blood cells. Sometimes such insignificant amounts are detected that the results aren’t meaningful, so the test is still considered negative.
Urine is designed to rid the blood of waste products and extra fluid, filtered through the kidney. When everything works as it should, no extra substances are present, and the urine is a clear yellow color. The urinalysis is a quick, inexpensive way to test for the presence of lots of things at once, and can give indicators that guide the doctor to select more in-depth testing and treatment.
