11 commonly-performed tests for urinalysis

1. pH
Measure of acid-base balance in urine
Can be affected by certain treatments or diet
Normal pH: 5.5-6.5
High pH: vegetarian diet
Low pH: starvation (fats metabolism produces acidic ketone bodies)
2. Specific gravity
Measure the osmolality of urine
Shows how well the kidneys balance the amount of water in urine
High SG: dehydration
Low SG: kidney problems (glomerular nephritis or diabetes insipidus. Unable to
concentrate urine)
3. Total proteins
Normally not found in urine
Conditions like haemolysis, pregnancy and certain diseases (chronic renal failure, UT
inflammation) cause proteinuria
Chronic renal failure cause increase in blood pressure due to damaged glomerulus
4. Blood
Not found in urine normally
Presence indicate menses, kidney injury, obstruction of urine formation/excretion
5. Haemoglobin
Used to detect hemoglobin in the urine (hemoglobinuria)
Presence indicates blood in urine (hematuria) which is not normal
6. Bilirubin
Waste product from the breakdown of haemoglobin
Not present in urine normally
Presence indicates haemolytic anaemia or liver disease where bilirubin leak back into
bloodstream and excreted in urine
Pre-hepatic
o Increase in bilirubin-brought to liver for conjugation-brought to small intestineincrease in urobillinogen
Hepatic
o Bilirubin leak into bloodstream-brought to liver-decrease in urobillinogen
Post-hepatic
o Breakdown of Hb release Haem- converted to bilirubin-accumulate in livercannot be brought to small intestine-enter kindeys-increase levels in urine
7. Urobillinogen
Formed from bilirubin in intestines with small amounts being absorbed into bloodstream
Normally present in urine in low concentrations
Positive results indicates liver disease

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Leukocytes
Produce esterase that can be detected by dipstick
Not found in urine normally
Presence indicates infection (UTI) or kidney disease

9. Glucose
Little or no glucose found in urine normally
Presence (glucosuria) indicates diabetes mellitus or kidney damage/disease
Diabetes cause increase in glucose levels that exceed threshold of kidneys. Spill
into urine
10. Ketones
Intermediate products of fat metabolism
Not found in urine normally
Presence indicates starvation, malfunction in carbohydrate utilization, or insufficient
insulin (diabetic patients)
Insufficient insulin=no glucose to be converted into energy for cellular aerobic
glycolysis
11. Nitrites
Presence indicates UTI or sample contamination
Many Gram-negative bacteria can convert nitrate to nitrite