

These cells do not mean there is a medical problem, but your doctor may ask that you give another urine sample.Ī routine urine test can be done in your doctor's office, clinic, or lab. The presence of squamous cells may mean that the sample is not as pure as it needs to be. If these are present, it can mean you have an infection. There are no bacteria, yeast cells, or parasites in urine normally. A large number of crystals, or certain types of crystals, may mean kidney stones are present or there is a problem with how the body is using food ( metabolism). Healthy people often have only a few crystals in their urine. The type of cast in the urine can help show what type of kidney disease may be present. Casts can be made of red or white blood cells, waxy or fatty substances, or protein. The casts then get flushed out in the urine. Some types of kidney disease can cause plugs of material (called casts) to form in tiny tubes in the kidneys. White blood cells may be a sign of infection or kidney disease. Strenuous exercise, such as running a marathon, can also cause blood in the urine. Inflammation, disease, or injury to the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra can cause blood in urine. Blood cells aren't found in urine normally. Things that may be seen on the slide include: The sediment is spread on a slide and looked at under a microscope. In this test, urine is spun in a special machine (centrifuge) so the solid materials (sediment) settle at the bottom. A diet low in sugars and starches (carbohydrates), starvation, or severe vomiting may also cause ketones to be in the urine. Large amounts of ketones in the urine may mean a very serious condition, diabetic ketoacidosis, is present.

When fat is broken down for energy, the body makes substances called ketones (or ketone bodies). WBCs in the urine may mean a UTI is present.

Leukocyte esterase shows leukocytes ( white blood cells ) in the urine. Nitrites in urine show a UTI may be present. Bacteria that cause a urinary tract infection (UTI) make an enzyme that changes urinary nitrates to nitrites. Glucose can also be found in urine when the kidneys are damaged or diseased. When the blood sugar level is very high, as in uncontrolled diabetes, the sugar spills over into the urine. Normally there is very little or no glucose in urine. Glucose is the type of sugar found in blood. Fever, hard exercise, pregnancy, and some diseases, especially kidney disease, may cause protein to be in the urine. Protein normally isn't found in the urine.
#Specific gravity lab values how to
For example, your doctor may instruct you how to keep your urine either acidic or alkaline to prevent some types of kidney stones from forming. Sometimes the pH of urine is affected by certain treatments. A urine pH of 4 is strongly acidic, 7 is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline), and 9 is strongly alkaline. The pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) the urine is. When you do not drink fluids, your kidneys make urine with a small amount of water in it, which has a high specific gravity. When you drink a lot of fluid, your kidneys make urine with a high amount of water in it, which has a low specific gravity. The higher the specific gravity, the more solid material is in the urine. It also shows how well the kidneys balance the amount of water in urine. This checks the amount of substances in the urine. coli bacteria can cause a bad odour, while diabetes or starvation can cause a sweet, fruity odour. Some diseases cause a change in the odour of urine. Urine does not smell very strong, but it has a slightly "nutty" odour. Bacteria, blood, sperm, crystals, or mucus can make urine look cloudy. Some medicines, blackberries, beets, rhubarb, or blood in the urine can turn urine red-brown. Vitamin B supplements can turn urine bright yellow. How dark or light the colour is tells you how much water is in it. Many things affect urine colour, including fluid balance, diet, medicines, and diseases. A regular urinalysis often includes the following tests: More than 100 different tests can be done on urine. What you eat and drink, how much you exercise, and how well your kidneys work can affect what is in your urine. Urine has hundreds of different body wastes. The kidneys take out waste material, minerals, fluids, and other substances from the blood to be passed in the urine. The test can give information about your health and problems you may have. A regular urine test may be done to help find the cause of symptoms. A urine test checks different components of urine, a waste product made by the kidneys.
