A person has to face various medical services throughout his life. This can be a consultation with a medical specialist, a study of any biomaterials, examination of internal organs, or taking various medications. A complete urinalysis is taken by absolutely all people, it is prescribed to all people - from infants to senior citizens. This is the most common and at the same time informative urine test.
Urinalysis: what is this study?
The analysis data is an indicator of the kidneys, therefore, at the slightest suspicion of their dysfunction, doctors prescribe this study. In addition, the results of the analysis may indicate other pathological processes in the body. This method can detect abnormal functioning of organs by determining the general properties of urine and microscopy of urinary sediment. The main parameters by which the doctor makes conclusions about the patient's condition are as follows:
- urine color;
- its transparency;
- urine density;
- the presence of protein;
- acidity;
- glucose indicators;
- what is the patient’s hemoglobin;
- bilirubin;
- ketone bodies ;
- urobilinogen;
- nitrites;
- the presence of salts in the urine ;
- epithelium;
- red blood cell count;
- white blood cells;
- what bacteria are in the urine;
- cylinders.
This study is often prescribed for patients with kidney pathologies to monitor the dynamics of changes in the excretory system and the effectiveness of the medicines used. A healthy person, ideally, should take this analysis 1-2 times a year for the timely detection of pathologies.
What are the rules for collecting analysis?
The study should be carried out with extreme accuracy. It must be ensured from the start of urine collection to the final results. Before collecting urine, it is necessary to carry out hygiene of the relevant organs. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that various food jars or containers are not suitable for analysis. To collect biomaterial, a special container is needed that is used only for these purposes. You can buy it at any pharmacy.
In the evening, before taking the test, you need to limit the use of products that can stain urine: beets, carrots and others. In addition, you need to monitor the use on the eve of various medications, as they can distort the results of the tests. During menstruation, the results can also be untrue, so you need to wait until the end of this period.
You can not drink alcohol in the evening before analysis. The content of trace elements in urine can vary significantly.
What can be identified using this analysis?
A general urinalysis is prescribed in order to determine the state of the body with suspicions of some pathology. This analysis is prescribed when there are diseases of the urinary system, to determine the dynamics of the course of the disease and control it. The analysis helps to prevent possible complications in time, and also shows the effectiveness of the treatment. This study is also often used in examinations of people undergoing professional examinations.
Urine Density
Urine density is the relative density ratio of two materials, one of which is considered as a reference. In this case, distilled water is considered the sample. The density of urine is usually variable. The reason is that the density changes per day, this is due to the uneven output of metabolic products dissolved in urine.
When blood is filtered, the kidneys form primary urine, most of which undergoes reverse absorption and returns to the bloodstream. Based on the described process, the kidneys make a concentrate of secondary urine. The process described above is called the concentration function of the kidneys. If a violation of the latter occurs, this will lead to a decrease in the relative density of urine. A violation of the concentration function can be diabetes insipidus, some variants of chronic nephritis and other diseases.
If protein, sugar, white blood cells, red blood cells, and the like appear in the urine, this helps to increase the density of urine. The relative density of urine, or rather, its average value depends on the age of the person. The concentration function of the kidneys also depends on age. Generally speaking, these two concepts are closely related.
Physiology of the occurrence of urine density
The density of urine, or rather, the process of its occurrence, consists of three stages. These are filtration, reabsorption and tubular secretion.
The first stage - filtration - occurs in the malpigian body of the nephron. It is possible due to the high hydrostatic pressure in the capillaries of the glomeruli, which is created due to the fact that the diameter of the bringing arterioles is greater than the carrying.
The second stage is called reabsorption or, in other words, absorption in the opposite direction. It is carried out in swirling and smooth tubules of the nephron, where, in fact, primary urine enters.
The final, third stage of urination is tubular secretion. Cells of the renal tubules together with special enzymes carry out active transfer from the blood capillaries into the lumen of the tubules of toxic metabolic products: urea, uric acid, creatine, creatinine and others.
The norm of the relative density of urine
The relative density of urine normally has a wide range. Moreover, the process of its formation will be determined by normally functioning kidneys. The relative density of urine tells the specialist a lot. The norm of this indicator will fluctuate during the day many times. This is due to the fact that from time to time a person takes various foods, drinks water and loses fluid through sweating, breathing and other functions. Under various conditions, the kidneys excrete urine with
indicators of relative density: 1.001 - 1.040. It is believed that urine density is normal. If a healthy adult drinks enough water, the relative density of urine, the norm of which is indicated above, in the morning may have the following indicators: 1.015 - 1.020. Morning urine can be very saturated, because at night the fluid does not enter the body.
Urine density is normal if its color is straw-yellow, transparent and has an unsharp smell. Her reaction should range from 4 to 7.
What is the danger of hyperstenuria?
If a person has an increased density of urine, this suggests that certain pathological processes occur in the body, which in one word are called "hyperstenuria." Such a disease will be manifested by an increase in edema, in particular, with acute glomerulonephritis or insufficient blood circulation in the kidneys. If huge extrarenal fluid loss has occurred. This includes diarrhea, vomiting, large blood loss, burns over a large area, swelling, abdominal injuries, intestinal obstruction. Hyperstenuria will also be indicated by the appearance in the urine of a large amount of glucose, protein, drugs and their metabolites. The cause of this disease is still toxicosis during pregnancy. If you passed a
urine test, the specific gravity of which turned out to be high (more than 1030), this result will indicate hyperstenuria. Such results must be discussed with your doctor.
High urine density does not carry a great danger to human life. But it can be of two types:
- Pathology of the kidneys, for example, nephrotic syndrome.
- Lack of primary pathology of the kidneys (glucosuria, myeloma, hypovolemic conditions, in which the reabsorption of water in the tubules increases as compensation, and therefore urine concentration begins).
What does hypostenuria indicate?
Hypostenuria is the opposite of hyperstenuria. It is characterized by a reduced density of urine. The cause is acute damage to the renal tubules, diabetes insipidus, persistent renal failure, or malignant hypertension.
Hypostenuria indicates that a violation of the concentration ability of the kidneys has occurred. And this, in turn, indicates kidney failure. And if you have found this disease, it is advisable to immediately contact a nephrologist who will prescribe you timely and necessary treatment.
Urine Density Standards for Children
As stated in this article above, urine density norms are different for every age. An adult urine test differs significantly from a baby. It can vary in many ways, but its main difference is in the norms. The relative density of urine in a child should meet the following standards:
- for a one-day baby, the norm is from 1.008 to 1.018;
- if the baby is about six months old, for him the norm will be 1.002–1.004;
- at the age of six months to a year, the normal relative density of urine is a range from 1.006 to 1.010;
- at the age of three to five, the limits of urine density will range from 1.010 to 1.020;
- for children who are about 7-8 years old, the norm is 1.008–1.022;
- and those who are in the range of 10 to 12 years old, their urine density should correspond to the norm of 1.011–1.025.
Sometimes it is very difficult for parents to collect urine from their child, especially if it is very small. But in order to determine the density of urine, at least 50 ml must be delivered to the laboratory where such an analysis is performed.