CHEARS

Urine is a sterile waste product containing water, salts and urea that is secreted by our kidneys and is excreted via the urethra. Though it is a waste product, it can signify several details regarding the health status of our body. The various characteristics observed during urine analysis are:

 

The physical characteristics of urine are:

 

· Colour- Usually urine is yellow-amber in colour. However, it depends on the diet and water intake of an individual. Higher water intake reduces the concentration of urine giving it a pale-yellow colour and a dehydrated individual would have a dark yellow concentrated urine. Red colour urine indicates food items such as beets, blackberries or presence of blood which could signify a kidney damage or disease.

 

· Odour- Usually urine has a mild smell of ammonia. A strong odour signifies a higher concentration of ammonia. In patients with diabetes mellitus, a sweet fruity odour is emitted due to presence of glucose or ketone bodies.

 

· pH- It can range from 4.6- 8.0. Usually, it is around 6.0. However, it depends on the diet of an individual. A vegetarian diet will provide an alkaline pH and a non-vegetarian diet or a protein-rich diet will provide an acidic pH to urine.

 

· Turbidity- Usually fresh urine is clear or very slightly cloudy. A cloudy or turbid urine can signify suspended particles which could be a result of urinary tract infections (UTI), increased cells or obstructions.

 

· Density- It ranges from 0.001 to 0.035.

 

Abnormalities in the physical characteristics could be minor due to change in diet or water intake. But it also can signify a severe problem such as diabetes mellitus or damage and hence, these indications should not be ignored.

 

 

The chemical composition of urine includes:

Water (95%), urea, chloride, sodium, potassium, creatinine and other inorganic and organic compounds such as proteins and hormones.

 

It can also include abnormal components such as:

 

· Proteins- Such a condition is known as proteinuria which can indicate a leaky or damaged glomerulus.

 

· Glucose- Such a condition is often known as glycosuria and it is observed in patients with diabetes mellitus.

 

· Ketone bodies- Such a condition is known as ketonuria which can indicate uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, starvation or high protein diet.

 

· Bilirubin- Such a condition is known as bilirubinuria which can indicate liver disease and gall bladder obstructions.

 

· Red blood cells (RBCs)- Such a condition is known as hematuria which can indicate injury or infection.

 

· Hemoglobin- Such a condition is known as hemoglobinuria which can indicate hemolytic anemia, mismatch transfusions.

 

· White blood cells (WBCs)- Such a condition is known as pyuria which can indicate UTI.

 

Other terms included in urination are-

· Oligouria- Abnormally small amount of urine excreted. It could be due to kidney damage.

 

· Polyuria- Abnormally large amount of urine excreted. It is observed in diabetic patients.

 

· Dysuria- Painful urination. It could be due to UTI.

 

 

Microscopic analysis used to identify abnormalities:

Microscopic structures in which cells are bound to each other formed by the kidneys are called as urinary casts. They can be classified as:

 

· Red blood cell casts- They may indicate glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, or malignant hypertension.

 

· White blood cell casts- They may indicate acute interstitial nephritis, exudative glomerulonephritis, or severe pyelonephritis.

 

· Epithelial cell casts- They may indicate toxin-induced, acute tubular necrosis, hepatitis, and cytomegalovirus.

 

· Granular casts- They may indicate acute tubular necrosis, and are often composed of proteins, especially antibodies.

 

· Hyaline casts- They may indicate dehydration.

 

· Bacterial casts- They may indicate UTI.

 

So the next time you take a urine test, make sure to read and understand your reports to learn about your health status.

 

 

Reference:

Urine | Boundless Anatomy and Physiology. Courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved 19 January 2022, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ap/chapter/urine/.