If Two Urine Samples Are Mixed, How Much Clean Urine Would You Need To Rule Out Drugs?

• Definition
  • What is a urinalysis?
  • What is macroscopic urinalysis?
  • What is urine exam strip chemical analysis?
  • What is microscopic urinalysis?
• Results
  • What can urinalysis results show?
  • Who is involved in the interpretation of urinalysis?
• Specialists
  • What types of doctors perform urinalysis?
• The Procedure
  • What does urinalysis involve?
  • How is microscopic urinalysis done?
  • What kind of cells can be detected?
• Pros & Cons
  • What are the pros and cons of urine test strip?
• Interpretation
  • What tin the presence of reddish claret cells in the urine mean?
  • What tin the presence of white blood cells in the urine mean?
• Other Urine Tests
  • Other than urinalysis, what are other mutual urine tests available?
• Centre
  • Urinalysis (Urine Exam) Center
• Comments
  • Patient Comments: Urinalysis - Illness Diagnosis
  • Patient Comments: Urinalysis - Results

What is a urinalysis?

• Readers Comments nineteen
• Share Your Story

Movie of urine dipstick and color box instructions; photo courtesy of iStock

A urinalysis is simply an analysis of the urine. It is a very common exam that can exist performed in many wellness care settings, including doctors' offices, urgent care facilities, laboratories, hospitals, and even at domicile.

A urinalysis test is performed past collecting a urine sample from the patient in a specimen cup. Usually merely small amounts (30-60 mL) may be required for urinalysis testing. The sample can be either analyzed in the medical clinic or sent to a laboratory to perform the tests. Urinalysis is abbreviated UA.

UA is in general easily bachelor and relatively inexpensive. Information technology is also a simple examination and can provide many useful information about various diseases and atmospheric condition. Some physicians refer to urinalysis every bit "a poor man'southward kidney biopsy" because of the plethora of information that can be obtained virtually the health of the kidney or other internal diseases past this uncomplicated test.

Urine can be evaluated past its physical appearance (color, cloudiness, odor, clarity), also referred to as a macroscopic analysis. It can be as well analyzed based on its chemical and molecular properties, including microscopic assessment.

Urinalysis is ordered by doctors for a number of reasons, including the post-obit:

• Routine medical evaluation: general yearly screening, assessment before surgery (preoperative assessment), admission to infirmary, screening for kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension (loftier blood pressure), liver disease, etc.
• Assessing item symptoms: abdominal pain, painful urination, flank hurting, fever, claret in the urine (hematuria), or other urinary symptoms.
• Diagnosing medical conditions: urinary tract infections, kidney stones, uncontrolled diabetes (high blood sugars), kidney impairment, muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), protein in urine (proteinuria), drug screening, and kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis).
• Monitoring disease progression and response to therapy: diabetes related kidney disease, kidney impairment, lupus related kidney disease, claret force per unit area related kidney disease, kidney infection, proteinuria, and hematuria
• Pregnancy testing

UTI Diagnosis

Urinalysis (Urine Test)

A doc may simply perform a urine dipstick test in the office. Only a few minutes are needed to obtain results. Your health-care provider may also send a urine sample to the lab for culture testing (run across below). These results accept a few days to come dorsum. This tells the physician the exact leaner causing the infection and to which antibiotics these leaner have resistance or sensitivity. The culture is usually sent for special populations, including men, because they are less likely to get UTIs. It is not necessary to ship a civilization for everyone because the majority of UTIs are acquired by the aforementioned bacteria.

• The single virtually important lab examination is urinalysis. A urine sample volition exist tested for signs of infection, such as the presence of white blood cells and leaner.

What can urinalysis results evidence?

• Readers Comments 6
• Share Your Story

Urinalysis can disclose prove of diseases, even some that have non caused pregnant signs or symptoms. Therefore, a urinalysis is commonly a part of routine wellness screening.

Urinalysis is normally used to diagnose a urinary tract or kidney infection, to evaluate causes of kidney failure, to screen for progression of some chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure (hypertension).

It also may exist used in combination with other tests to diagnose some diseases. Additional tests and clinical assessment are often required to further investigate findings of urinalysis and ultimately diagnose the causes or specific features of underlying bug. For example, urine infection is generally diagnosed based on results of urinalysis. However, urine culture is frequently ordered equally a follow-upwardly test to confirm the diagnosis and to identify the bacteria that may be causing the infection. Other examples include kidney stones, inflammation or the kidneys (glomerulonephritis), or musculus breakup (rhabdomyolysis).

Who is involved in the interpretation of urinalysis?

Estimation of urinalysis is by and large based on reviewing all the components of the test and correlating it with the clinical signs and symptoms of the patient and the physical examination. The results are reviewed and interpreted by the doctor who ordered the test.

SLIDESHOW

Health Screening Tests Every Woman Needs See Slideshow

What types of doctors perform urinalysis?

Many types of doctors may lodge a urinalysis in their practise. Considering of easy availability, relatively nominal cost, simplicity of performing the test, and quick turnaround fourth dimension, UA is done in many settings past variety of doctors. Nearly frequently, UA is ordered by internists, family practitioners, emergency-room physicians, obstetricians and gynecologists, nephrologists (kidney specialists), urologists, rheumatologists, and possibly less ofttimes past many other specialists.

What does urinalysis involve?

Urinalysis is done past collecting a urine sample from a patient. The optimal sample tends to be an early morning urine sample because it is frequently the most concentrated urine produced in the day. Typically, no fasting is required before the collection of urine sample and routine medications tin can be taken before the test, unless otherwise instructed by the ordering doc.

Methods of drove are slightly dissimilar for female person and male patient.

• For females, the patient is asked to clean the area around the urethra with a special cleansing wipe, by spreading the labia of the external genitals and cleaning from front to back (toward the anus). The cleaning mitt is and then used to maintain the spread while the cup is held past the other hand to collect the sample.
• For men, the tip of the penis may exist wiped with a cleansing pad prior to collection.
• The urine is then nerveless in a clean urine specimen cup while the patient is urinating. Information technology is best to avoid collecting the initial stream of urine. Subsequently the initial part of urine is disposed of in the toilet, then the urine is collected in the urine container provided. Once about 30 mL to lx mL (roughly three to 5 tablespoons) are collected in the container for testing, the remainder of the urine may be voided in the toilet again. This is called the midstream clean catch urine drove.

The nerveless urine sample should be taken to the laboratory for analysis, typically within 1 hr of drove. If transportation to the lab could accept more than one hour, then the sample may be refrigerated.

In some patients who are unable to void spontaneously or those who are not able to follow instructions other methods may exist used, such equally placing a catheter (a modest prophylactic tube) through the outside opening to the bladder (urethra) to collect the sample directly from the float.

Daily Health News

Trending on MedicineNet

What is macroscopic urinalysis?

Macroscopic urinalysis is the direct visual observation of the urine, noting its quantity, color, clarity or cloudiness, etc.

Normal urine is typically low-cal yellow and clear without any cloudiness. Obvious abnormalities in the colour, clarity, and cloudiness may propose possibility of

• an infection (cloudy urine),
• aridity (nighttime urine color),
• liver disease ("bilirubin," a digestive substance secreted by the liver, stains urine a tea or cola color),
• blood in the urine (hematuria -- visible to the center may point urinary tract infection, stones, tumors, or injuries), or
• breakdown of muscle (orange- or tea-colored urine).

Certain medications may too alter the colour of urine (for example, phenazopyridine, a urinary antiseptic and pain reliever). Very foamy urine may represent large amounts of protein in the urine (proteinuria).

What is urine examination strip chemical analysis?

Urine test strip is a narrow plastic strip which has several squares of different colors attached to it. Each small square represents a component of the test used to interpret urinalysis. The unabridged test strip is dipped in the urine sample and color changes in each square are noted. The color alter takes place after several seconds to a few minutes from dipping the strip. If read too early or besides long after the urinalysis strip is dipped, the results may not be authentic.

Each color modify on a item square may bespeak specific abnormalities in the urine sample caused past a certain chemical reaction. The reference for color changes is posted on the plastic bottle container of the urine examination strips. This makes for easy and quick interpretation of the urinalysis results by placing the strip next to the container and comparing its color changes to the reference provided.

The squares on the dipstick represent the post-obit components in the urine:

• Specific gravity (concentration of urine)
• Acidity of the urine (pH levels)
• Protein in the urine (proteinuria), mainly albumin
• Glucose (saccharide) in the urine (glycosuria)
• Ketones in the urine (ketonuria), products of fat metabolism
• Hemoglobin/blood in the urine (hematuria)
• Leukocyte esterase (suggestive of white claret cells in urine)
• Nitrite (suggestive of bacteria in urine)
• Bilirubin (possible liver illness or red claret prison cell breakdown)
• Urobilinogen (possible liver disease or etodolac [Lodine] medication)

Presence or absence of each of these color changes on the strip provides important information for clinical decisions.

After the dipstick test strip is dipped in urine briefly and completely, the reading is washed within a few minutes. Each 1 of the squares on the box has next to it the time which is recommended for its interpretation (for instance, whether these is a alter in color on the square). The squares are placed in like order on the box, from the ones requiring the shortest time to read of 30 seconds to the ones with the longest time to read of 2 minutes. This organisation is based on outcome time and makes information technology easier to quickly read and interpret any color changes by only scanning the strip from the shortest (glucose) to the longest (leukocytes).

Subscribe to MedicineNet'due south Full general Health Newsletter

By clicking Submit, I concord to the MedicineNet's Terms & Weather condition & Privacy Policy and understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet'due south subscriptions at whatsoever time.

What are the pros and cons of urine examination strip?

The master advantage of a urine examination strip is that they are convenient, easy to interpret, and cost-constructive. They can exist analyzed within minutes of urine collection in the doctor's office or in the emergency room to provide valuable data.

However, what can be learned from a dipstick is limited by the design of the dipstick. The main disadvantage is that the information may non exist very accurate, every bit the test is fourth dimension-sensitive. It also provides limited information well-nigh the urine, as it is qualitative exam and not a quantitative examination (for example, information technology does non give a precise measure of the quantity of aberration). Therefore, normal and abnormal values are not reported as function of urinalysis results.

What is microscopic urinalysis?

The microscopic urinalysis is the report of the urine sample under a microscope. It requires but a relatively inexpensive light microscope. Cells and cellular debris, leaner, and crystals in the urine (crystalluria) can be detected past microscopic exam to provide confirmation of the dipstick color change (run across above) and farther clinical clues.

How is microscopic urinalysis done?

• Share Your Story

Microscopic urinalysis is washed simply pouring the urine sample into a test tube and centrifuging it (spinning it down in a machine) for a few minutes. The top liquid part (the supernatant) is discarded. The solid part left in the bottom of the exam tube (the urine sediment) is mixed with the remaining driblet of urine in the test tube and one drop is analyzed under a microscope.

The sediment is examined through the microscope under low-power to identify what are called casts, crystals, squamous (flat) cells, and other large objects.

Test is then performed through the microscope at college power to further identify whatever cells, bacteria and clumps of cells or debris called casts.

From

What kind of cells can exist detected?

Epithelial cells (flat cells), red and white blood cells may be seen in the urine.

Sometimes cells, cellular debris, and casts are seen in the microscopic test. Epithelial cells (cells in the lining of the bladder or urethra) may advise inflammation within the bladder, but they also may originate from the skin and could be contamination.

Casts and cellular debris originate from higher up in the urinary tract, such equally in the kidneys. These are material shed from kidney prison cell lining due to injury or inflammation and travel downward through the urinary tubes. These usually advise an injury to the kidney from an inflammation or lack of claret menstruum to the kidneys. Rarely, tumor cells can be in the urine suggesting a urinary tract cancer.

What can the presence of red blood cells in the urine mean?

Red blood cells tin can enter the urine from the vagina in menses or from the trauma of bladder catheterization.

A high count of red blood cells in the urine can indicate infection, trauma, tumors, or kidney stones. If red blood cells seen under microscopy look distorted, they suggest kidney as the possible source and may ascend due to kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis). Small amounts of carmine claret cells in the urine are sometimes seen young healthy people and usually are not indicative of any illness.

What can the presence of white blood cells in the urine mean?

Urine is a generally idea of as a sterile body fluid, therefore, show of white blood cells or bacteria in the urine is considered abnormal and may suggest a urinary tract infection such as, bladder infection (cystitis), infection of kidney (pyelonephritis). White blood cells (WBC) may be detected in the urine through a microscopic examination (pyuria or leukocytes in the blood). They can exist seen under high power field and the number of cells are recorded (quantitative) as "rare, few, moderate, or many."

White cells from the vagina or the opening of the urethra (in males, too) can contaminate a urine sample. Such contamination aside, the presence of abnormal numbers of white blood cells in the urine is significant.

Other than urinalysis, what are other common urine tests available?

Other commonly performed urine tests are drug tests, pregnancy tests, specific chemicals and proteins in the torso, which are non a office of routine urinalysis.

Urine drug screen is washed routinely to check for drugs or their byproducts in the urine. There are many purposes for these tests including athletic screening, emergency rooms settings, drug detoxification programs, school and employment screening. This test detects the presence of unremarkably used drugs such every bit

• cocaine,
• amphetamines,
• methamphetamines,
• marijuana,
• phencyclidine,
• barbiturates,
• benzodiazepines, and
• opiates.

Urine pregnancy test is very common and it measures a hormone in the urine associated with pregnancy (beta-HCG or beta- man chorionic gonadotropin). This test can be done in medical settings, merely numerous kits are available for dwelling house use.

Other urine tests tin can besides be used in evaluation of many medical conditions. Examples include

• urine civilisation (in determining the bacterial cause of urine infection),
• urine creatinine (in assessing kidney disease),
• urine total protein and albumin (in assessing kidney disease and protein loss from kidney),
• urine cytology (in evaluating for possible bladder or other urinary tumors),
• urine calcium (in evaluating elevated blood calcium levels),
• 24-hour urine collection for proteins (in diagnosing causes of kidney impairment, diabetic related kidney affliction, lupus related kidney illness),
• 24-hour urine collection for protein electrophoresis (for measuring dissimilar components of proteins in urine in evaluating multiple myeloma, kidney inflammation with increased protein loss), or
• 24-hour urine collection of catecholamine metabolites (in evaluating adrenal gland disease, difficult to treat high blood pressure).

Medically Reviewed on 7/21/2021

References

Foley, K.F., and J. Wasserman. "Are unexpected positive dipstick urine bilirubin results clinically significant? A retrospective review." Lab Med 45.one Winter: 59-61.

Ghadban, Rugheed. "Specific Gravity." Medscape.com. Feb. 11, 2022. <https://emedicine.medscape.com/commodity/2090711-overview>.

Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison'due south Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. The states: McGraw-Loma Pedagogy, 2022.

Weichhart, T., Thousand.J. Zlabinger, and Thou.D. Saemann. "The Multiple Functions of Tamm-Horsfall Protein in Homo Wellness and Affliction: A Mystery Clears Up." Wien Klin Wochenschr 117(9-x) May 2005: 316-322.

Source: https://www.medicinenet.com/urinalysis/article.htm

Posted by: darbyacend1994.blogspot.com

Share this post