Correct interpretations of urinalysis in the diagnosis of some medical conditions

Urinalysis (UA) is a simple, non-invasive diagnostic tool that examines the visual, chemical, and microscopic properties of urine samples for medical or routine diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of various medical conditions, including kidney disorders; urinary tract infections; and systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. Conventionally, urine can be characterized by physical appearance, chemical composition, and microscopical examinations. Physical examination of urine includes description of colour, odour, clarity, volume, and specific gravity. Chemical examination of urine includes the identification of protein, blood cells, glucose, pH, bilirubin, urobilinogen, ketone bodies, nitrites, and leukocyte esterase; microscopic examination entails the detection of crystals, cells, casts, and microorganisms. A urinalysis is a diagnostic tool that plays an essential role in the health assessment process and is typically a first step treatment procedure done in individuals with urinary symptoms (e.g. painful urination, urinary frequency and urgency, lower abdominal pain) as well as in pregnant individuals to determine the presence of asymptomatic bacteriuria. It also offers clinicians valuable information for the monitoring of several medical conditions, including diabetes mellitus, liver disease, or renal disease. Some urine tests occasionally done but are not commonly part of the urinalysis include screening for the usage of recreational drugs (e.g. cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, etc.), urine cytology (i.e. examination of cells in the urine, used to screen for urological cancers), measuring electrolyte levels or hormones, as well as a urine pregnancy test. Complete urinalysis is highly recommended as routine screening in all clinical or health centres in the tropical zones.