CH 29 Key Terms - Urinalysis

Question 1

acid-base balance

Answer 1

condition that occurs when the net rate at which the body produces acids or bases is equal to the net rate at which acids or bases are excreted.

Question 2

amorphous

Answer 2

shapeless; possessing no form.

Question 3

bilirubin

Answer 3

orange-yellow pigment that forms from the breakdown of hemoglobin in aged or damaged red blood cells. Billirubin usually travels in the bloodstream to the liver, where it is converted to a water-soluble form and is excreted into the bile.

Question 4

bilirubinuria

Answer 4

presence of bilirubin in the urine.

Question 5

casts

Answer 5

tiny structures usually formed by deposits of protein or other substances on the walls of renal tubules; in urine, they can indicate kidney stones.

Question 6

chain of custody

Answer 6

procedures in which the patient and sample are monitored and controlled so that the sample can be directly linked to the patient at all times and verified by the clinical personnel.

Question 7

circadian rhythm

Answer 7

pattern based on 24 hour cycle emphasizing the repetition of certain physiologic phenomena such as eating and sleeping.

Question 8

creatinine

Answer 8

chemical waster product formed by muscle metabolism and excreted by the kidneys; when urine filtration is impaired, creatinine is increased in blood, which indicates abnormal kidney function.

Question 9

crystals

Answer 9

may be found in normal urine sediment. Though they have no particular significance, they should be noted because they may indicate disease states.

Question 10

glucosuria

Answer 10

AKA glycoseuria - presence of glucose in urine.

Question 11

hematuria

Answer 11

abnormal presence of blood in urine, symptomatic of many disorders of the genitourinary system and renal diseases.

Question 12

hemoglobinuria

Answer 12

presence of hemoglobin in urine, indicates unusual breakdown of RBC’s within bloodstream

Question 13

ketoacidosis

Answer 13

accumulation of ketones in the body, occurring primarily as a complication of diabetes mellitus; if left untreated could cause coma.

Question 14

ketones

Answer 14

chemical compound produced during an increased metabolism of fat; also, test on a reagent strip.

Question 15

ketonuria

Answer 15

ketones in the urine.

Question 16

ketosis

Answer 16

condition of the body burning fatty acids for energy in the absence of appropriate glucose / carbohydrates; may be referred to as lipolysis.

Question 17

midstream

Answer 17

x

Question 18

pH

Answer 18

scale that indicates the relative alkalinity or acidity of a solution; measurement of hydrogen ion concentration.

Question 19

quantitative tests

Answer 19

measures numbers.

Question 20

reagents

Answer 20

chemical substance that detects of synthesizes other substances in a chemical reaction; used in lab analyses because it is known to react in a specific way.

Question 21

refractometer

Answer 21

instrument that measures the refractive index of a substance or solution; used in the urinalysis physical exam to measure the specimen’s specific gravity.

Question 22

sediment

Answer 22

insoluble material that settles to the bottom of a liquid; material examined in the urinalysis microscopic examination.

Question 23

specific gravity

Answer 23

ratio of weight of a given volume of a substance to the weight of the same volume of distilled water at the same temperature; test often performed during urinalysis physical exam; can also be tested by reagent strip.

Question 24

supernatant

Answer 24

urine that appears above the sediment when centrifuged; poured off before sediment is examined in the urinalysis microscopic examination.

Question 25

turbid

Answer 25

opaque, not clear. Used to describe urine that is cloudy.

Question 26

urea

Answer 26

principal end product of protein metabolism

Question 27

urinary tract infection (UTI)

Answer 27

AKA bladder infection

Question 28

urobilinogen

Answer 28

colorless compound produced in intestine after the breakdown of bacteria of bilirubin.