Laboratory - Urine Flashcards
What does normal urine contain?
- 95% water
- Electrolytes
- Metabolic waste
What is included in this metabolic waste?
Urea, creatinine, phosphate and sulphur.
What is haematuria?
Blood in urine.
What is dysuria?
Difficulty urinating.
What is urinary tenesmus?
Feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder.
What is stranguria?
Straining to urinate.
What is Anuria?
Absence of urine.
What are 3 behavioural signs of urine crystals?
Hissing, yelping, restlessness.
What could cause urine crystals?
UTI, Diet, increased water intake causing abnormal concentration of minerals, stress, anatomy, systemic disease, genetic predisposition.
What are the ways to diagnose urine crystals?
Patient & owner history + clinical observations, changes in urine output and appearance, urinalysis (dipstick, bacteria? sediment analysis, SG. Ultrasound and xrays (including contrast xrays).
How can you treat urinary crystals?
Increase water intake, flush the bladder (urohydropropulsion), surgical removal, diet and referral.
How can crystals be characterised?
Mineral composition (external lab), pH of urine, radiodense r radiolucent (xrays), shape of crystals.
What is the average urine production for animals?
1-2ml/kg/hour.
what are the 4 collection methods for urine?
- Free-catch
- Manual expression
- Catheterisation
- Cystocentesis
what equipment might you need to collect a free-catch sample?
- Collection pot (kidney dish)
- Sample pot
- Gloves
- Katkor if a cat.
What time of day do you want to try and catch the sample and at what stage of them urinating?
- First wee of the day as most concentrated and mid-flow.
What factors will depend on the positioning of doing a manual expression sample?
Size of patient, consciousness and aggression/tolerance.
What are the risks/ contraindications of doing a manual expression?
- Rupture
- Sensitivity
- Bladder/ urethral patency is unknown
- Also, stress of patient if conscious.
what is catheterisation?
- The passing of a catheter aseptically into the urethra to collect urine directly from the bladder.
what equipment is needed for catheterisation?
- Catheter, syringe, collection container, sample pot, gloves, lubrication, pen and a speculum may be used in females.
Why might you want to catheterise a patient?
- If blocked to flush bladder.
- Recumbent patients with nerve damage, if urinated on themselves and caused urine scolding.
- To obtain a sample.
What are the advantages of catheterisation?
- Fairly simple to do.
- Male dogs are easier to catheterise.
- Speculums can be used to help visualise the urethral orifice in female dogs.
What are the 3 different types of SA catheter?
- Foley
- Dog catheter
- Jackson male cat
What’s the difference between an open and closed catheter system? And what is the disadvantage of open?
Closed - More aseptic and you can measure the output via a bag system.
Open - Open and can cause urine scolding and can allow bacteria/infection in.
What is a cystocentesis?
- Obtaining a urine sample by puncturing the body and bladder wall from outside the body cavity to get a direct sample from the bladder. The most sterile methods.
What equipment is needed for a cystocentesis?
- Needle, sterile syringe, clippers, ultrasound (if doing ultrasound guided), sample pot and pen.
If the urine is not to be tested immediately what should you do with it and why?
- Put it in a preservative to stop the natural process of urea decomposition and crystal formation.
What factors of urine can we assess visually?
- Amount
- Colour
- Turbidity (cloudiness)
- Odour.
What could it mean if the urine presented is brown/yellow?
- Bile pigments are presented: shock, renal issues or dehydration.
What could it mean if the urine presented is red/brown?
- RBC present? Oestrus, stale sample, food colouring/
What could it mean if the urine presented is bright red?
- Urinary tract trauma, inflammation, cystitis.
What could it mean if the urine presented is brown/black?
- azoturia (contains products of muscle cells destruction) excess exercise.
What could it mean if the urine smells strong?
- It’s concentrated.
What could it mean if the urine smells ammonia/stale?
- Stale sample or bacteria present.
What could it mean if the urine smells sweet (like pear drops)?
- Diabetes mellitus (due to ketone presence in the urine. ketone = organic compound produced when fat is broken down).
