Urinalysis

Urinalysis, also referred to as a routine urine test, is used to check for abnormalities in the urine. There are a number of diseases and conditions which can result in abnormalities in the urine and can often be detected through physical, chemical, and microscopic examination.

Urinalysis may be performed to detect a urinary tract infection (UTI), protein in the urine or blood in the urine. Urinalysis may be performed as part of a regular physical examination to screen for early signs of disease. In patients who have kidney disease or diabetes, urine tests are used to monitor the condition.

Urinalysis tests are available in all locations, Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Newburgh.

Procedure and Result

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  • Clean Catch: The sample of urine is achieved by cleansing and rinsing the opening of the urethra. A small amount of urine should then be allowed to fall into the toilet and the rest should be collected midstream in a clean container.
  • Dipstick Tests: Involves placing papers that contain small pads of chemicals into the urine sample. These papers change color when exposed to various substances in the urine. This type of urine testing can result in false-positive or false-negative results.

Urinalysis involves checking the appearance and color of the urine. Urine can appear clear or cloudy, vary in color from pale yellow to dark yellow, and even red, green, or blue. Infections may cause the urine to be atypical in color and cloudy.

Urine color can be affected by certain foods (beets, asparagus, blackberries), ingested dyes (food coloring), and a number of medications. The presence of bilirubin, which may indicate liver disease, can make the urine dark in color, even olive green, and hemoglobin, which may indicate injury to the urinary tract, can make the urine pink or red.

Medications, the presence of riboflavin (B complex vitamin, laxatives), B complex vitamins, and carotene (found in yellow vegetables) can all affect the color of the urine.

Urinalysis should be performed within 15 minutes of collecting the urine sample. If that is not possible, the urine should be refrigerated.

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