AUA Summit - What is a Urinalysis?

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Urinalysis

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What is a Urinalysis?

Urinalysis is a test used to examine the content of a urine specimen. A urinalysis is used:

  • To diagnose things like a urinary tract infection, kidney disease, kidney stones, diabetes or pregnancy.
  • Before an operation to screen for problems.
  • To monitor your health if you’ve been diagnosed with a medical condition like kidney disease or urinary tract disease.

If your urinalysis results are abnormal, your doctor will suggest more tests to find the source of the problem.

If you feel pain, have a weak urine stream, or see blood in your urine, you should see your doctor. Blood in the urine may be from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or a different urinary tract problem.

It is of great value to find out what’s going on, and get treatment. A urinalysis may be used to help with diagnoses.

What to Expect

For a urinalysis you would collect a small amount of urine, midstream, in a sterile cup. This can be done in the bathroom of your doctor’s office or at home. You should tell your doctor if you take any medicine or pills since this can affect test results.

The urine sample is looked at by eye, with a dipstick and under a microscope. Things like bacteria, blood cells, protein, sugars and more would be evaluated. Your physician may also take a urine culture if needed.

Results from a urinalysis can often be talked about with your health care team right away. Ask about specifics for your test results.

Updated October 2024. 

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