Urinalysis

What is it?

The urinalysis is used as a screening and/or diagnostic tool because it can help detect substances (such as sugar) or cellular material (red or white blood cells) in the urine associated with different metabolic and kidney or bladder disorders. It is ordered widely and routinely to detect any abnormalities that should be followed up on. Often, substances such as protein or glucose will begin to appear in the urine before patients are aware that they may have a problem. It is used to detect urinary tract infections (UTI) and other disorders of the urinary tract. It may also be part of a wellness exam, a new pregnancy evaluation, or a work-up for a planned surgery. A urinalysis will most likely be performed if you see your health care provider complaining of abdominal pain, back pain, painful or frequent urination, or blood in the urine, symptoms of a UTI. This test can also be useful in monitoring whether a condition is getting better or worse.

The urinalysis is a set of screening tests that can provide a general overview of a person’s health. Your doctor must correlate the urinalysis results with your health complaints and clinical findings and search for the causes of abnormal findings with other targeted tests (such as a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), complete blood count (CBC), or urine culture (to look for a urinary tract infection).

We test for: