UA Flashcards
what is the “normal” color for urine?
Straw
what can ice tea colored urine indicate?
Blood from higher in the renal system
what can hazy urine mean?
White cells/ mucus
what is a measure of the solutes in the particular urine.
Specific gravity
what does a specific gravity of <1.003 indicate?
Probably not urine
the low the specific gravity number the what?
More dilute the urine is
With a specific gravity of <1.010 what should you compare it with?
Serum osmolality
what does a specific gravity of >1.035 indicate?
Usually following an intravenous pyelogram
can be taking dextram or HMW IV fluids
A specific gravity of what indicates relative hydration.
<1.010
What can cause blood on a UA?
UTI PCKD malignancy calculi glomerulonephritis
what will whole RBCs look like on a UA?
patchy appearance
what will hemolyzed blood look like on a UA?
darker color, fully, not patchy
what is the most common cause of leukocyte esterase positive on a UA?
UTI
what can positive nitrates indicate?
UTI due to gram negative bacteria
Positive protein on UA can indicate what
Preeclampsia, diabetic nephropathy, infection, inflammation, myeloma* (dipstick often insensitive) nephrotic syndrome
any damage to what can give you proteinuria
glomerulus or renal tubules
what does glucose in the urine indicate?
diabetes mellitus
Bilirubin in UA can indicate what
biliary obstruction
hyperbilirubinemia
some types of liver disease
inborn errors of bilirubin metabolism
When will ketones be positive in a UA
carbohydrate starvation
severe illness
vomiting
diabetic ketoacidosis
when there’s a biliary obstruction will you find urobilinogen?
No, because it isn’t getting into the intestines
when will bilinogen spill into the urine?
Too much hemolysis
If there is a positive urobilinogen is there an obstruction?
Not likely, more likely a hemolytic process
what is a normal urine pH
4.5-8.0
for 2 hours after you eat, what will the urine become?
alkaline
a large amount of squamous epithelial cells in males can indicate what?
inflammation or infection in the renal system
what does a clue cell indicate?
bacterial vaginosis
what do renal tubular epithelial cells indicate?
More significant inflammation, infection
What conditions can renal tubular epithelial cells suggest?
pyeloneprhitis
glomerulonephritis (think this more)
what does a renal tubular epithelial cell look like?
nucleus is very centered and cell is round
when you see red blood cells in a urine what should you suspect?
glomerular disease (can indicate cancer with a lot of RBCs)
what’s another possible cause of blood in the urine?
Going for a long run
what can you do to differentiate RBC from yeast?
KOH (will lyse the RBCs)
what do you think of when you see budding yeast in the urine?
fungal or yeast infection
classic findings on UA for UTI
Blood, WBC and protein are often positive Leukocyte esterase often positive Nitrite often positive Bacteria - motile Yeast - budding
Most common parasitic infection in US
trichomonas vaginalis
are hyaline casts concerning?
No, may be after physical exertion, emotion stress, febrile dz
What can cause a WBC cast?
renal inflammatory processes such as pyelonephritis, interstitial nephritis or may accompany RBC casts in glomerulonephritis
what causes casts?
Urine isn’t moving
what causes granular casts?
urine after strenuous exercise, dehydration, during infection and in chronic renal disease.
casts are wider than others. Occur where there is really severe urinary stasis.
Waxy cast
most common reason for kidney stones
calcium oxalate crystals
what crystals have an x shape in teh middle.
calcium oxalate
what type crystals look like a football or diamond
Uric acid crystals
what type crystals look like a coffin-lid?
triple phosphate crystals
