Urine Analysis

Why test for Urine Analysis

Why it's done
A urinalysis is a common test that's done for several reasons:

• To check your overall health. Your doctor may recommend a urinalysis as part of a routine medical exam, pregnancy checkup, pre-surgery preparation, or on hospital admission to screen for a variety of disorders, such as diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease.
• To diagnose a medical condition. Your doctor may suggest a urinalysis if you're experiencing abdominal pain, back pain, frequent or painful urination, blood in your urine, or other urinary problems. A urinalysis may help diagnose the cause of these symptoms.
• To monitor a medical condition. If you've been diagnosed with a medical condition, such as kidney disease or a urinary tract disease, your doctor may recommend a urinalysis on a regular basis to monitor your condition and treatment.

​Depending on your situation, you may collect a urine sample at home or at your doctor's office. Your doctor will provide a container for the urine sample. You may be asked to collect the sample first thing in the morning because at that time your urine is more concentrated, and abnormal results may be more obvious.

To get the most accurate results, the sample may need to be collected midstream, using a clean-catch method. This method involves the following steps:

• Cleanse the urinary opening. Women should spread their labia and clean from front to back. Men should wipe the tip of the penis.
• Begin to urinate into the toilet.
• Pass the collection container into your urine stream.
• Urinate at least 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 59 milliliters) into the collection container.
• Finish urinating into the toilet.
• Deliver the sample as directed by your doctor.
• If you can't deliver the sample to the designated area within 60 minutes of collection, refrigerate the sample, unless you've been instructed otherwise by your doctor.

In some cases, your doctor may insert a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through the urinary tract opening and into the bladder to collect the urine sample.

The urine sample is sent to a lab for analysis. You can return to your usual activities immediately.