Urinalysis is a test of your urine.  Basic urine analysis regularly forms part of routine screening at clinics, hospitals and in doctor’s rooms.

Urinalysis involves checking the appearance, concentration and content of urine.  Abnormal urinalysis results may point to a disease or illness.  Unusual urinalysis results often require more testing to uncover the source of the problem.  The use of reagent strips is an initial screen for abnormalities in the urine.  These test results are an indication of a potential disease and it is not conclusive of a specific diagnosis.  Further testing and consultation with a healthcare professional is necessary to confirm the presence of a specific disease or health condition.

Urine testing strips detects a wide range of disorders.  For example, urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes, to name a few.

• A urinary tract infection can make urine look cloudy instead of clear.
• Nitrite, a chemical produced by most bacteria suggests a bacterial infection.
• Increased levels of protein in urine can be a sign of kidney disease.
• A higher-than-normal glucose level can indicate diabetes and ketones can be sign of diabetic complication.

Specific Gravity (SG) indicates the concentration of urine.  SG dependents on the time the urine spends in the bladder.  It is an important factor for the accurate analysis of urine.

Kidney failure can result in a low SG.  If there is no kidney failure, then a SG below 1.020 – 1.025 indicates that the urine was not in the bladder for the required minimum of 2-3 hours.  So, all the test results will be incorrect.

Yes.  Test fresh urine samples within 4 hours from collection.  Bring refrigerated urine samples to room temperature (15° – 30°C) before testing.