Dorothy FarrarUrine test
A urine test is the in-depth analysis of a urine sample. It is one of the oldest human diagnostic procedures. In medicine, the urine test is also called urine examination, urine test or urinalysis. This refers to a diagnostic method in which the examination of a urine sample takes place. Together with the blood test, the urinalysis is one of the routine medical examinations.
What is a urine test?
The examination of urine already took place in antiquity and was called “urinary show”. The physician looked at the urine and carried out an odor test to determine certain diseases. For example, diabetes mellitus could be recognized by the typical sweet taste of urine.
In modern times, medicine usually resorts to special urine test strips. These are inexpensive and can be analyzed quickly and easily. The primary search is for leukocytes (white blood cells), erythrocytes (red blood cells), glucose, nitrite and protein.
The microscopic components, chemical composition, smell and color of urine provide the doctor with information about the patient’s state of health. Sometimes, however, the consumption of various spices or foods can affect the smell of urine. These include mainly garlic and asparagus. If an intense fruit smell is perceived during the urine examination, this is considered an indication of increased acetone excretion, which occurs in diabetes.
Applications
Among others, the following diseases and symptoms may make a urinalysis necessary:
- Kidney disease
A urine test takes place when the doctor needs precise knowledge about the composition of the urine. For example, substances in the urine that are not contained in the urine of healthy people provide indications of a certain underlying disease.
Urinalysis is one of the most common laboratory tests in medicine. It has a variety of indications. These include diseases of the urinary tract such as urinary tract infections, urolithiasis and urothelial carcinomas, kidney diseases such as renal insufficiency or glomerulonephritis as well as infections such as pneumococcal infection, legionella pneumonia and urogenital tuberculosis. Other areas of application are metabolic diseases such as diabetes, pheochromocytoma or porphyria.To diagnose diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to detect sugar and protein in the urine. But other questions can also be clarified with the help of a urine examination. These are pregnancy tests, a urine sample to detect doping or drug addiction, and toxicology to identify toxins. Likewise, with a urine test, the detection of blood in the urine is possible. Such a finding almost always has disease value and indicates urinary tract or kidney infections.
What methods and procedures are there?
Nowadays, conventional medicine usually dispenses with the mere observation of urine. The reason for this is that urine changes significantly due to taking medication, the supply of certain fluids, inflammation or internal diseases. However, if a change is significant for the diagnosis, the appearance of the urine is recorded.
In principle, a urinalysis can be carried out by doctors of any specialty. The best point of contact are specialists in urology and nephrology who have a special qualification. To check the specific urine weight, the doctor immerses a measuring spindle in the urine. In this way, he determines the precise weight-to-volume ratio. This makes it possible to find the answer to how many dissolved urine components occur in the urine sample. Since concentrated urine contains less water, it has a higher specific gravity.
The urine sample is assessed according to various criteria. Among other things, the amount of urine that is excreted per day is important. For example, increased urination is an indication of diabetes. On the other hand, a reduced excretion of urine can be an indication of a kidney disorder. The quality of the urine is also important and requires a fresh urine sample.
A urine sample is usually taken in the morning because the urine is particularly concentrated at this time of the day. Midstream urine is used. In the case of certain questions, the first jet urine can also be of importance.
Another form of urine analysis is the 24-hour urine collection. It is used to measure different substances in the urine. Isolated urine samples are less suitable for such analysis because of fluctuations in urine concentration. In addition, it depends on the intake of liquid. If, on the other hand, the urine is collected for 24 hours, such fluctuations can be compensated for.
Test strips are used for further urine tests, with which the pH value in the urine can be determined. Furthermore, components such as sugar, protein and blood in the urine can be determined with this method. Otherwise, the urinalysis takes place under a microscope.
Understand urine testing (urinalysis).
| Urinalysis (urinalysis) – explanation | |
| quality/value | Explanation |
| Crowd | Small amounts of urine can indicate insufficient fluid intake or kidney problems. |
| coloring | Reddish urine suggests blood admixture. Dark urine can indicate insufficient fluid intake. |
| Odor | Food (e.g. asparagus) can change the smell of urine. If no corresponding foods were consumed, then strong or foul-smelling urine is often an indication of an inflammatory process in the urinary tract. |
| PH value | pH measures the acidity of urine. In healthy people, the pH is between 5 and 7 (slightly acidic), depending on the diet. Values below 5 can indicate diabetes mellitus or severe diarrhea. Alkaline values (above 7) can be an indication of a bacterial urinary tract infection. |
| White blood cells (leukocytes) | An increased number of white blood cells (leukocytes) indicates inflammation of the kidneys and/or urinary tract. |
| Bilirubin | Bilirubin is the breakdown product of the red blood pigment hemoglobin. Elevated bilirubin levels can indicate liver disease. |
| glucose (sugar) | Elevated sugar levels indicate diabetes mellitus. Higher levels of sugar in the urine can also be detected during pregnancy. |
| Nitrites | Some strains of bacteria convert nitrate into nitrite. Nitrite in the urine is therefore a sure sign of a bacterial urinary tract infection. |
| protein | In healthy people, no or only small amounts of protein can be detected. Elevated protein levels indicate an inflammatory reaction in the kidneys. |
| Red blood cells (erythrocytes) | If red blood cells (erythrocytes) are detected in the urine, this can indicate an inflammation of the kidneys, bladder or urinary tract. |
| Ketones | If ketones can be determined in the urine, this is an indication of excessively high sugar levels (alarm signal for diabetics). |
What does the patient have to consider in advance?
Before doing a urine test, the doctor should know about the patient’s medical history. This includes, among other things, taking medicines. When submitting a urine sample, it is advisable not to use household collection vessels and instead to use special vessels provided by the doctor. Before the urine sample takes place, cleaning the genitals is recommended. Later, the results of the urine Later, the results of the urine test are discussed with the doctor, who explains the urine values and suggests any necessary therapeutic measures.
process and implementation
The patient must submit a urine sample as part of a urine test in the toilet. He catches the urine in a special container. Midstream urine provides the best information for analysis. This means that neither the first jet urine nor the rest of the urine may get into the container. In this way, contamination of the urine can also be counteracted. If the patient does not follow the instructions, there is a risk of false positive test results. If the findings are unclear, the urine can also be obtained directly from the urinary bladder by means of a suprapubic bladder puncture.
If a 24-hour urine sample is taken, the patient collects his midstream urine in the container throughout the day. In some cases, a catheter can be used to obtain a urine sample. After the urine sample is given, the doctor assesses the amount and color of the urine. If it is red in color, this indicates bleeding. If the urine has turned dark, this is an indication of insufficient fluid intake. If there is a foul odor, there may be inflammation.
If the urine test is to be carried out quickly, a test strip can be used. How many substances are contained in the urine and in what concentration plays an important role. This leads to a discoloration of the indicator fields that are attached to the test strip. The urine values are determined using special tables that provide information about the colors of the indicator fields.
If the urine is examined under a microscope, the doctor extracts a urine sediment from the urine sample using a centrifuge. This means the solid urine components. Through the microscope, the doctor identifies and assesses leukocytes, erythrocytes, bacteria, parasites, crystals and salts. You can also do a urine culture. In this procedure, the urine sample is placed on a culture medium.
The sample is then placed in an incubator. If there are fungi or bacteria in the urine, they can thrive very well on the culture medium. It is also possible to assess whether they are resistant to certain drugs.
With the help of the results of the urine test, the doctor makes a diagnosis, which allows him to initiate appropriate treatment. Test stiffeners for a urine test can also be obtained without a prescription in the pharmacy. This gives the user the opportunity to examine his urine himself. However, this is not a substitute for a professional urinalysis.
Own contribution or health insurance – who covers the costs?
If the urine test is carried out because there is a suspicion of a specific disease, the statutory health insurance companies will bear the costs of the procedure. If there is a need, medical practices also offer the examination as a private service.
Risks, dangers and complications
The conventional urinalysis is one of the diagnostic methods where no complications are to be feared. However, there is a risk that incorrect test results may occur due to incorrect storage of the urine sample, the intake of large amounts of vitamin C or bacteria. If the urine test is performed using a catheter, there is a risk that the urethra will be affected or infections will occur.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.