Urinalysis: what is included

In shortUrinalysis is a series of tests on a urine sample: a visual check of color and clarity, a dipstick test for chemistry, and a microscopic examination for cells, crystals, and microorganisms. It screens for diabetes, kidney, liver, and urinary tract conditions.

What this panel covers

Urinalysis examines a urine sample on three levels at once: physically, chemically, and microscopically. The physical part is a visual check of color and clarity; the chemical part uses a dipstick with color-changing pads to measure acidity and detect glucose, protein, ketones, bilirubin, blood, and nitrites; the microscopic part looks for red and white blood cells, bacteria, crystals, and other solid material.

The range of what it can show is broad. Urinalysis is used to screen for diabetes, kidney problems, liver disease, and urinary tract infections. It is also part of routine examinations and checkups, and is used before surgery, during pregnancy checks, and when symptoms such as pain during urination, back pain, or blood in the urine appear.

Color alone carries clues. Normal urine is some shade of yellow. Some medicines and foods can change the color dramatically — beets can make it red, for example — so anything unusual in diet or medication is worth mentioning before the test.

A normal report has a recognizable pattern: glucose, ketones, protein, and bilirubin are not detectable; nitrites, which certain bacteria produce, are absent; and red and white blood cells are not present above a trace. Anything outside that pattern gives a direction for the next step — sometimes a urine culture, sometimes blood tests, sometimes imaging.

Markers on the panel

Nechiporenko urine test Microalbuminuria 24-hour urine protein Zimnitsky test Creatinine clearance

Why it is ordered

To screen for urinary tract infections, kidney and liver disease, and diabetes; as part of routine examinations and pregnancy checks; before surgery; and when symptoms like pain during urination, frequent urination, back pain, or blood in the urine appear.

How to prepare

The clean-catch method is used to keep skin bacteria out of the sample: the genital area is wiped, the first part of the stream goes into the toilet, and the middle part is collected in the container. Some medicines and foods change urine color, so mention anything unusual being taken or eaten.

How to read the report

The report reads as three blocks. Color and clarity come first; then the dipstick chemistry, where glucose, ketones, protein, bilirubin, and nitrites should all be negative or absent; then the microscopy, where cells and crystals are counted. A finding is matched with symptoms: white cells and nitrites point toward infection, protein toward kidney involvement, ketones and glucose toward blood sugar problems.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the clean-catch method?

A way to keep the sample free of skin bacteria: the genital area is cleaned with a wipe, urination starts into the toilet, and the middle portion of the stream is collected into the container.

Why does the report mention urine color?

Because color and clarity are the first screening clues. Normal urine is some shade of yellow, and foods (like beets) or medicines can change it dramatically — worth telling the provider before the test.

What do nitrites in urine mean?

Some bacteria convert nitrates into nitrites, so a positive nitrite result on the dipstick suggests a urinary tract infection and usually leads to a urine culture to identify the organism.

Sources

Urinalysis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Accessed: August 29, 2026.