Urinalysis

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Urinalysis

Summary

A urinalysis is a test of your urine. It is often done to check for a urinary tract infections, kidney problems, or diabetes. You may also have one during a checkup, if you are admitted to the hospital, before you have surgery, or if you are pregnant. It can also monitor some medical conditions and treatments.

A urinalysis involves checking the urine for

Its color
Its appearance (whether it is clear or cloudy)
Any odor
The pH level (acidity)
Whether there are substances that are not normally in urine, such as blood, too much protein, glucose, ketones, and bilirubin
Whether there are cells, crystals, and casts (tube-shaped proteins)
Whether it contains bacteria or other germs

Start Here

Urinalysis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Diagnosis and Tests

Epithelial Cells in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Mucus in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Bacteria Culture Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Bilirubin in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Blood in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Crystals in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Foamy Urine: What Does It Mean? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Nitrites in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Protein in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Urine Color (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Urine Odor (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Urobilinogen in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

Getting a Urine Test (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Urinalysis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Find a Urologist (Urology Care Foundation)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

Blood in the Urine (Hematuria) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Urine Test: Dipstick (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Urine Tests (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

Blood in the Urine (Hematuria) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Bilirubin - urine (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Clean catch urine sample (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Glucose urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Ketones urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Protein urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
RBC urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urinalysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine odor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine pH test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine specific gravity test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Basics

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Research

Resources

For You