Urinalysis Practice Problems Part 1

Urine pH and Influences

• Urinary tract infection leads to alkaline urine pH.
• Starvation causes urine pH to become acidic.

Urine Components and Terms

• Hematuria: Presence of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in urine.
• Hemoglobinuria: Presence of hemoglobin in urine.
• Glycosuria: Presence of glucose in urine.
• Albuminuria: Presence of albumin (proteins) in urine.
• Ketonuria: Presence of ketone bodies in urine.
• Pyuria: Presence of pus (white blood cells) in urine.

Specific Gravity Indicators

• Low specific gravity indicates diabetes insipidus.
• High specific gravity can be associated with diabetes mellitus or gonorrhea.

Causes of Specific Urine Findings

• Glucose presence linked to diabetes mellitus or excessive sugar intake.
• Albumin levels can rise due to exertion or pregnancy.
• Erythrocytes in urine commonly result from bleeding in the urinary tract or kidney stones.
• Hemoglobin presence may result from hemolytic anemia, severe burns, transfusion reactions, poisonous snake bites, or renal disease.
• Bile pigments (bilirubin) appear due to conditions like hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.
• Ketone bodies correlate with diabetes mellitus or starvation.
• Casts are indicative of conditions like glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis.
• Pus presence is often due to cystitis, gonorrhea, or urinary tract infections.

Nitrogenous Wastes

• The three major nitrogenous wastes excreted in urine are urea, uric acid, and creatinine.

Sediment Types in Urine

• Unorganized sediments include chemical substances such as uric acid crystals, calcium oxalate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and cholesterol.
• Organized sediments consist of epithelial cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and hyaline casts.

Urine Constituents

• Inorganic constituents found in urine include sulfates, phosphates, chlorides, and nitrites.
• Organic constituents encompass urea, glucose, albumin, ketones, RBCs, WBCs, and hemoglobin.