Urinalysis + Kidney Function Tests Flashcards
Physical examination of urine
- colour
- clarity
- volume
- smell
colour of urine
- major pigment = urochrome, urobilin, uroerythrin
- intensity depends on concentration
- normal: straw light yellow
clarity of urine
- normal: clear, transparent
- turbidity: may result from non-pathological or pathological causes
inability to produce urine
anuresis
fatal urine condition if not managed immediately!
anuria
urine smell
- normal: characteristic faint odour due to volatile acids
- improper storage = bacterial growth
- non-pathological causes = foods, intravenous meds
- pathological disorders = UTI (ammonia), ketone production (fruity odour), amino acid disorders
waxy casts
- end product of cast evolution
- harder to process
- tubular obstruction with prolonged stasis
> chronic renal disease
> renal failure - diseased, dilated tubules (“broad” casts)
urine pH
- normal = 4.5 to 8.0; average is 5.0 to 6.0
- pH should support findings of other lab tests
- acid urine:
> inhibits UTI
> prevents formation of alkaline renal stones (calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate) - alkaline urine:
> high pH may identify improper collection/ storage!!!
> prevents precipitation ad promotes excretion of drugs
> prevent formation of acidic renal stone (calcium oxalate, uric acid, cysteine)
urinalysis: microscopic examination
- prepare urine sediment on a fresh std vol of sample; 450 x g for 5 min; low speed centrifugation avoids disruption of fragile elements
- examine sediment on slide at low power
> use high power to differentiate
> report an average of two low power fields - observe: cells, casts, organisms, crystals
what cells should NOT be present in urine?
- RBCs
- WBCs
- renal tubule cells should not be many!
renal casts
- cylindrical bodies formed in lumen of renal tubules; ‘casts’ of tubule shape
- uromodulin (Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein): secreted by renal tubule cells; denatures/precipitates at high salt, low pH, low urine flow
- normal = 0-2 hyaline (mucoprotein) casts/low power field
- pathological = RBC casts, WBC casts, waxy
most common renal casts
hyaline cast
granular cast
hyaline cast
- in normal individuals
> dehydration
> vigorous exercise
> stress, fever - increase = renal disease, congestive heart failure
granular cast
- breakdown of trapped cellular elements, aggregated proteins
> after strenuous exercise - increase = chronic renal tubule disease; acute tubular necrosis
RBC casts
- renal disease
- glomerulonephritis
- tubule damage
- nephrotic syndrome (massive protein loss in urine)
WBC casts
- inflammation or infection
- pyelonephritis (inflammation of kidneys)
waxy casts
- end product of cast evolution
- tubular obstruction with prolonged stasis: chronic renal disease, renal failure
- diseased, dilated tubules (“broad” casts)
acid urine
- normal: uric acid, calcium oxalate
- pathological: bilirubin, drugs (sulfonamide, ampicillin); amino acids (cysteine, tyrosine, leucine)
alkaline urine
- normal: amorphous phosphates, triple phosphates (struvite), calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate
- pathological: important if urine sample is fresh; triple phosphates; UTI, calculi (renal stones)
urine pH
- normal pH 4.5-8.0
- acid urine = inhibits development of UTI; prevents formation of alkaline renal stones (Ca carbonate or Ca phosphate)
- alkaline urine = high pH may identify improper collection/storage
> prevents precipitation and promotes excretion of drugs
> prevent formation of acidic renal stone (Ca oxalate, uric acid, cysteine)
T or F. urine pH should support findings of other lab tests
T!
measure of urine concentration based on its density; affected by # of solutes and their MW
urine specific gravity
1.002 -1.040
2 methods of measuring urine specific gravity
- polyelectrode pH indicator (~ionic strength)
- refractive index
urine glucose
- normally absent
- glucosuria = DM
- detected by glucose oxidase method (linked to peroxidase rxn)
- other sugars may appear in urine = not detected