A urine sample can reveal a lot about why you’re experiencing certain symptoms, and whether a symptom may indicate a current or future medical condition.

A urinalysis, or urine test, is a common medical test in which the urine is examined to diagnose and monitor various illnesses.

During a urinalysis, a clean urine sample is collected into a specimen cup and analyzed with a visual exam, a dipstick test, and a microscopic exam. The presence of cells, bacteria, and other chemicals is detected and measured in a urinalysis.

Urinalyses are typically conducted when someone is admitted to the hospital or before they have surgery. Your doctor may also order a urinalysis if you experience symptoms such as: (1)

Urinalyses are useful because they can often detect medical problems before additional symptoms arise. They are most often performed to monitor overall health, to diagnose a medical problem, or to monitor a medical condition, including: (2)

Most urinalyses simply involve the patient urinating into a specimen cup, either at home or at a doctor’s office. Sometimes a sample is requested first thing in the morning, as more concentrated urine provides easier-to-read results. (3)

You do not have to do anything to prepare for a urinalysis, and you can eat and drink beforehand. Inform your doctor if you take any medications or vitamins, as these can impact the results of a urinalysis. (3)

For many urinalyses, doctors will recommend that patients collect a “clean catch” sample, meaning that urine cannot touch the skin of the penis or tissues of the vagina, which contain additional bacteria. Occasionally, a clean sample may be obtained via urinary catheter. (4)

The Mayo Clinic recommends taking the following steps to obtain a clean sample of urine: (3)

Getting a clean sample from a child may be difficult. Parents or the child can clean the skin surrounding the urinary opening. To get a “midstream” urine sample, which has the least amount of bacteria, a child is encouraged to stop urinating momentarily (if possible) and then urinate again into the sample container. (5)

A typical urinalysis involves a visual exam, a dipstick test, and a microscopic exam.

Visual Exam For the visual exam, the urine will be examined for its color and clarity. Dark urine, abnormal colors, blood in urine, cloudy urine, or foamy urine can indicate kidney problems, dehydration, or other medical problems. Normal urine should range in color from clear to dark yellow. (6)

Dipstick Test Chemical testing usually involves inserting a thin strip of plastic known as a dipstick into the urine sample. Chemicals on the stick react with urine and change color to measure the following: (7)

Sometimes small amounts of certain substances, such as proteins, can be found in urine and do not indicate a medical problem. Talk to your doctor about your urinalysis results, as the criteria for abnormal values can vary depending on age, gender, medical history, and other factors.

Before examining under a microscope, technicians spin the urine in a centrifuge in order to concentrate the solid particles and make them easy to examine. A microscopic examination might reveal the following: (3,8)

Sometimes a healthcare provider will also order a urine culture to be performed with a urinalysis. A urine culture is used to grow bacteria found in the urine sample in order to diagnose an infection. (4)

It usually takes several hours to get the results of a urinalysis test, and one to three days for a urine culture to be complete.

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ReferencesUrinalysis. Cleveland Clinic. November 9, 2021.Urinalysis. MedlinePlus. May 5, 2016.Urinalysis. Mayo Clinic. October 14, 2021.Urinalysis. Harvard Medical School. February 25, 2020.Urine Tests. KidsHealth.Urinalysis. University of Florida Health. January 16, 2021.Urinalysis (Urine Test). National Kidney Foundation.Urinalysis and Urine Culture. Merck Manual. May 2022.

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