Urinalysis

A urine sample is needed. Your health care provider will tell you what type of urine sample is needed. Two common methods of collecting urine are 24-hour urine collection and clean catch urine specimen . The sample is sent to a lab, where it is examined for the following: PHYSICAL COLOR AND APPEARANCE How the urine…

Certain medicines change the color of urine, but this is not a sign of disease. Your provider may tell you to stop taking any medicines that can affect test results. Medicines that can change your urine color include: Chloroquine Iron supplements Levodopa Nitrofurantoin Phenazopyridine Phenothiazine Phenytoin…

The test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.

A urinalysis may be done: As part of a routine medical exam to screen for early signs of disease If you have signs of diabetes or kidney disease , or to monitor you if you are being treated for these conditions To check for blood in the urine To diagnose a urinary tract infection

Normal urine varies in color from almost colorless to dark yellow. Some foods, such as beets and blackberries, may turn urine red. Usually, glucose, ketones, protein, and bilirubin are not detectable in urine. The following are not normally found in urine: Hemoglobin Nitrites Red blood cells White blood cells Normal…

Abnormal results may mean you have an illness, such as: Kidney disease Urinary tract infection Kidney stones Poorly controlled diabetes Bladder or kidney cancer Your provider can discuss the results with you.

There are no risks with this test.

If a home test is used, the person reading the results must be able to tell the difference between colors, because the results are interpreted using a color chart.

Riley RS, McPherson RA. Basic examination of urine. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods . 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29. Sobel JD, Brown P. Urinary tract infections. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and…