Urinalysis (Urine Test) Explained: What Each Result Checks

What it involves

MedlinePlus describes a urinalysis as the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine, made up of several tests that detect and measure compounds passing through the urine. It is often done to check for a urinary tract infection, kidney problems, or diabetes. It can also be part of a routine checkup, a hospital admission, or the visit before surgery.

Who this is for

• Patients with burning, urgency, or cloudy urine who want to know what a test will look at
• Patients whose lab report shows a flagged urine result and who want it explained
• Patients with diabetes or kidney concerns whose provider monitors urine as well as blood
• Patients who noticed blood or an unusual color in their urine

What to expect

• Questions about symptoms, medicines, recent foods, and how long the change has lasted
• Instructions for the type of urine sample your provider wants, often a clean catch
• A plain explanation of every result, including the ones that were normal
• A decision on whether to repeat the test, send a culture, or look at the kidneys with blood work

The three parts of the test

MedlinePlus says the sample is sent to a lab and looked at in three ways:

• Physical: how the urine looks, including whether it is clear or cloudy and pale or dark
• Microscopic: a check under the microscope for cells, crystals, casts, mucus, bacteria, or other germs
• Chemical: a dipstick with pads that change color on contact with substances of interest

What the dipstick can flag

MedlinePlus lists specific urine tests that may be done, including red blood cells, glucose, protein, pH, ketones, bilirubin, and specific gravity. Usually glucose, ketones, protein, and bilirubin are not detectable in urine, and hemoglobin, nitrites, red blood cells, and white blood cells are not normally found. Normal ranges vary slightly among labs, which is why the lab that ran your test sets the reference range printed on the report.

Why a provider orders it

MedlinePlus says a urinalysis may be done as part of a routine exam to screen for early signs of disease, if you have signs of diabetes or kidney disease or are being monitored for them, to check for blood in the urine, or to diagnose a urinary tract infection. If burning or urgency is what brought you in, the urinary tract infection care page covers the visit itself. Kidney numbers from blood are explained in the kidney function tests guide.

Giving a good sample

MedlinePlus says your provider will tell you what type of sample is needed, and that two common methods are a 24-hour collection and a clean catch specimen. The test involves only normal urination and no discomfort. Certain medicines and foods can change the color of urine without any disease, and MedlinePlus names iron supplements and riboflavin among the medicines, and beets and blackberries among the foods that can turn urine red. Tell your provider what you take so a color change is not mistaken for a problem.

What an abnormal result can mean

MedlinePlus says abnormal results may point to kidney disease, a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, poorly controlled diabetes, or bladder or kidney cancer. That list is wide on purpose: one flagged line is a reason to look further, not a diagnosis. A provider reads the result next to your symptoms and may repeat the test, culture the sample, or order blood work. The basic metabolic panel guide explains the blood side of that follow-up. A urine test is one part of working out why you are going so often, and the frequent urination guide explains the other causes and warning signs MedlinePlus lists.

Urine tests and diabetes

MedlinePlus lists signs of diabetes, and monitoring it, among the reasons a urinalysis is done, because glucose and ketones are normally not detectable in urine. A flagged line is a prompt for blood sugar testing, not a diagnosis. The diabetes management page describes ongoing care, and the prediabetes A1C guide explains the blood sugar numbers that come from a separate test.

Sources

• MedlinePlus — Urinalysis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• MedlinePlus — Urinalysis (Health Topic)