Different Types of Urine Tests
A urinalysis is a test of your urine. It's used to detect and manage a wide range of disorders, such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes. It involves checking the appearance, concentration and content of urine.
Purpose of Urine Test
A Urine culture test in Hyderabad is done for several reasons such as:-
To check your overall health - A urinalysis might be part of a routine medical exam, pregnancy checkup or pre-surgery preparation. Or it might be used to screen for a variety of disorders, such as diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease, when you're admitted to a hospital.
To diagnose a medical condition. A urinalysis might be requested if you have abdominal pain, back pain, frequent or painful urination, blood in your urine, or other urinary problems. A urinalysis can help diagnose the cause of these signs and symptoms.
What tests are included in Urine Culture Sensitivity test?
Your healthcare provider can include several different tests in a urinalysis. Depending on your symptoms, and existing health condition, your doctor will choose which urine culture test procedure to order under a urinalysis.
In general, a healthcare provider or laboratory technician can examine a urinalysis urine sample for the following broad aspects:-
- Color and appearance
- Chemical findings
- Microscopic findings
- Urine color and appearance
For most urinalysis tests, a healthcare provider examines how the urine sample looks to the “naked eye.” They check if it’s clear or cloudy and if it’s pale, dark yellow or another color.
Normal urine color is usually some shade of yellow and can range from colorless or pale yellow to deep amber, depending on how concentrated or diluted (watery) your urine is.
Cloudy urine doesn’t always indicate unhealthy urine. For example, sperm and skin cells are harmless and could make your urine appear cloudy. Other substances that can make your urine cloudy, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria, may indicate several different medical conditions, including:-
- Dehydration
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs and STIs)
- Kidney stones
- Diabetes
- Urine chemical findings
To examine chemical aspects of a urine sample, healthcare providers or lab technicians often use special test strips called dipsticks to test for certain chemical substances in the urine sample. The strips have pads of chemicals that change color when they come in contact with specific substances.
The degree of color change on the dipstick can give an estimate of the amount of substance present. For example, a slight color change in the test pad for protein may indicate a small amount of protein present in the urine sample, whereas a deep color change may indicate a large amount.
Common types of tests that use a dipstick that providers may include in a urinalysis include:-
Protein urine test: A protein urine test measures the presence of proteins, such as albumin, in your urine. Higher-than-normal urine protein levels may indicate several different health conditions, such as heart failure, kidney issues and dehydration.
Urine pH level test: A urine pH test measures the acid-base (pH) level in your urine. A high urine pH may indicate conditions including kidney issues and a urinary tract infection (UTI). A low urine pH may indicate conditions including diabetic ketoacidosis and diarrhea.
Ketones urine test: Ketones build up when your body has to break down fats and fatty acids to use as fuel for energy. This is most likely to happen if your body does not get enough sugar or carbohydrates as fuel. Healthcare providers most often use ketone urine tests to check for diabetic ketoacidosis.
Glucose urine test: A glucose urine test measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your urine. Under regular circumstances, there shouldn’t be glucose in your urine, so the presence of glucose could be a sign of diabetes or gestational diabetes.
Bilirubin urine test: Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile, a fluid produced by your liver. If you have bilirubin in your urine, it may indicate liver or bile duct issues.
Nitrite urine test: A positive nitrite test result can indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI). However, not all bacteria are capable of converting nitrate (a substance that’s normally in your urine) to nitrite, so you can still have a UTI despite a negative nitrite test.
Leukocyte esterase urine test: Leukocyte esterase is an enzyme that’s present in most white blood cells. When this test is positive, it may indicate that there’s inflammation in your urinary tract or kidneys. The most common cause for white blood cells in urine is a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI).
Urine specific gravity test: A specific gravity test shows the concentration of all chemical particles in your urine. Abnormal results may indicate several different health conditions.
Urine microscopic findings
A lab technician may examine a urine sample under a microscope to look for tiny substances in the urine, including:
- Cells
- Cell fragments
- Urinary casts
- Mucus
- Bacteria or other germs
- Crystals
Microscopic tests that providers may include in a urinalysis include:
Red blood cell (RBC) urine test - An elevated number of RBCs indicates that there’s blood in your urine. However, this test can’t identify where the blood is coming from. For example, contamination with blood from hemorrhoids or vaginal bleeding can’t be distinguished from a bleed somewhere in your urinary system. In some cases, higher-than-normal levels of red blood cells in your urine may indicate bladder, kidney or urinary tract issues.
White blood cell (WBC) urine test - An increased number of WBCs and/or a positive test for leukocyte esterase may indicate an infection or inflammation somewhere in your urinary tract.
Epithelial cells - Epithelial cells are cells that form the covering on all internal and external surfaces of your body and line body cavities and hollow organs. Your urinary tract is lined with epithelial cells. It’s normal to have some epithelial cells in your urine, but elevated numbers of epithelial cells may indicate infection, inflammation and/or cancer in your urinary tract.
What do the results of a Urinalysis mean?
Urine Culture Test Results can have several interpretations due to the variety of tests. Abnormal results may indicate but not necessarily guarantee that there’s a medical issue. In most cases of abnormal urinalysis results, you will need further testing, such as blood tests or imaging tests, in order for your healthcare provider to diagnose a condition.
In general, the greater the concentration or level of the atypical substance, such as high levels of glucose or red blood cells, the more likely that there’s a medical condition that needs treatment. Again, providers rarely use urinalysis tests alone to diagnose conditions. Instead, urinalysis results can provide helpful insight and help point providers in the right direction toward a diagnosis.
Before undergoing the urine test, it is important to check out the urine culture test cost. Also, you must get examined at a reputed urine test center near me.
Comments
Post a Comment