Urinalysis is a laboratory tool used by health care professionals to screen for a variety of metabolic and kidney conditions, including urinary tract infections. It can be used as part of a routine physical evaluation or if the person has symptoms specific to a urinary or kidney ailment. The typical urinalysis test is a strip with multicolored reagent pads that change color in the presence of its designated microscopic substance or compound.
Function
The urinalysis test is actually a group of several tests rolled up into one. According to Lab Tests Online, urinalysis has three components: a visual exam that checks the urine sample's color and concentration; a chemical component that measures and detects several substances that can give examiners information about the body's general state of health; and a microscopic examination that detects the presence of cells, bacteria and other materials.
Features
The most common chemical tests in a routine urinalysis include the pH, which measures how acidic the urine is, and the specific gravity, which checks the level of dilution or concentration of the urine. It also detects the presence of protein, glucose, blood, ketones, leukocyte esterase, nitrites, bilirubin and urobilinogen.
Significance
According to the Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia, the presence of ketones in the urine signifies the rapid breakdown of fat, which can occur in conditions like diabetes. The presence of protein in the urine indicates either that the level of protein in the blood is too high for the kidneys to retain in the blood or that the kidneys are damaged. Likewise, the presence of red blood cells in the urinalysis can indicate kidney damage, which can be the result of an infection, inflammation or a tumor.
Benefits
A urinalysis can be a valuable tool for the early detection of certain medical conditions. For example, the presence of glucose in the urine as detected by urinalysis can identify someone in the early stages of diabetes. Red blood cells, in combination with symptoms of flank pain or pain on urination, can identify someone with a kidney stone.
Warning
According to MayoClinic.com, urinalysis is not a definitive test, but rather a screen that likely will lead to further studies. For example, a urine culture to detect the presence of bacteria might follow the finding of white blood cells in the urine. The presence of blood in the urinalysis would lead to a renal ultrasound or a CT scan to check for kidney stones or other anatomic abnormalities of the kidneys.
