Why test urine?
Urine testing is done to screen for, help diagnose and/or monitor several diseases and conditions such as kidney disorders to urinary tract infections.
When do you need to test?
Urine testing is recommended when you have symptoms, such as abdominal pain, back pain, frequent or painful urination. Testing can also be done as a general screen and as part of pregnancy check-up.
Urine Collection
Use only clean and sterile urine specimen containers.
Examination of the urine with test strips should be carried out as soon as possible within 2 hours.
Test Parameters
What is being tested?
- Specific Gravity: checks for the concentration ability of kidneys
- pH: urinary tract infections, acidosis or ketoacidosis, starvation, diarrhoea
- Leukocytes: Kidneys, urine and bacterial infections
- Nitrate: Urinary tract infections, cystitis, pyelonephritis
- Protein: Diabetes mellitus, fasting, vomiting, inborn errors of metabolism, ketoacidosis
- Glucose: Diabetes mellitus, renal/alimentary glycosuria, glycosuria in renal damage
- Ketones: Diabetes mellitus, fasting vomiting, ketoacidosis
- Urobilinogen: Cirrhosis of the liver, viral hepatitis, haemolytic anaemia
- Bilirubin: Cirrhosis of liver, intra- and extra hepatic, obstructive jaundice, hepatocellular jaundice
- Blood: urinary stone formation, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, renal infarction, renal cysts, gouty kidneys