Patient education: Urinalysis (The Basics)

What is urinalysis? — Urinalysis is a lab test to look at urine and check for problems.

For a urinalysis, you give a urine sample. Then, a doctor or lab will do 3 things:

●Examine the urine – They will check its color and whether it is cloudy or clear. They will also note if it has a specific smell. This can sometimes be a clue to a health problem.

●Test it with a special test strip – This is called a "dipstick." It checks the urine for certain chemicals and substances, including protein and sugar.

●Look at a drop of the urine under a microscope – This lets them see things like cells, germs, and tiny crystals.

Why might I get a urinalysis? — Your doctor might order a urinalysis:

●If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection ("UTI") or other bladder problem

●To check for kidney disease or injury

●To check how well your kidneys are working – This is usually done regularly if you have known kidney disease. It can also be useful if you have another health problem that can affect the kidneys, like diabetes.

How do I prepare for urinalysis? — You do not have to do anything special to prepare. Your doctor or nurse might tell you to:

●Avoid urinating for an hour or so before the test.

●Drink water shortly before the test to help you urinate.

In some cases, your doctor or nurse will have you collect your urine at home instead of in the office.

How do I collect my urine? — Your doctor or nurse will give you a clean plastic cup to collect your urine. You need to get a "clean catch" sample. To do this:

●Wash your hands with soap and water.

●Clean your genital area by wiping gently from front to back. Your doctor or nurse might give you a special wipe to use for this.

●Let a little bit of urine out into the toilet, then stop mid-stream.

●Hold the cup so it is ready to catch your urine.

●Start urinating again, and catch the urine in the cup. Fill the cup with as much urine as your doctor or nurse told you to collect. Do not to let the cup touch your body or the toilet.

●Finish urinating in the toilet.

●Give the urine sample to your doctor or nurse. They will then do the urinalysis or send the sample to a lab.

If you cannot collect your urine yourself, your doctor will collect it in another way. This might involve inserting a thin tube called a "catheter" into your urethra (figure 1). A catheter can also be used to get a sample if a baby or young child needs a urinalysis.

What do my results mean? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

Usually, the results of your urinalysis will give your doctor an idea of how well your kidneys are working. They will also show whether you might have a health problem like a UTI. If anything is abnormal, this will help your doctor decide what to do next and whether you need more tests.

What else should I know? — Other tests can also be done on a urine sample. For example, urine can be used for a pregnancy test or for drug testing. But these things will not show up on a urinalysis unless the doctor specifically tests for them.

More on this topic

Patient education: Urine culture (The Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) (The Basics)
Patient education: Glomerular disease (The Basics)
Patient education: Acute kidney injury (The Basics)
Patient education: Chronic kidney disease (The Basics)

Patient education: Urinary tract infections in adolescents and adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Glomerular disease (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Chronic kidney disease (Beyond the Basics)