PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES
OF URINALYSIS
02-2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02 03 04 05
Question Answer for Question Answer for Question
number 1 Question #1 number 2 Question #2 number 3
06 07 08 09 10 11
Answer for Question Answer for Question Answer for References
Question #3 number 4 Question #4 number 5 Question #5
Question # 1
Assume that you are employed in a
clinical laboratory and that one of
your duties is performing urinalysis.
The urine specimens submitted for
testing have a variety of
appearances. Some are clear,
others are cloudy, and there are
variations in color. Some also have
distinctive odors. What is it
important to make note of these
physical characteristics of urine?
Answer:
Physical characteristics of urine such as
urine color, odor and clarity are important
because it provides preliminary
information concerning disorders and is
also important as it can be used to
confirm or to explain findings in the
chemical and microscopic areas of
urinalysis.
Source: Strasinger, S., Di Lorenzo, M. (2014). Urinalysis and Body fluids.
Sixth edition. Page 60
Question #2
A patient has just handed you a urine
specimen with an intense orange-gold
color. Yellow foam floats on top. What
might be the cause of the abnormal
appearance of the urine?
Answer:
The cause of the abnormal appearance of
the urine which is orange-gold color is
phenazopyridine or azo-gantrisin
compounds especially to patients who
have urinary tract infections. Specimens
containing phenazopyridine produce a
yellow foam when shaken.
Source: Strasinger, S., Di Lorenzo, M. (2014). Urinalysis and Body fluids. Sixth edition. Page 61
Question #3
Among the urine specimens this morning is one with a
pungent odor of ammonia. What could this smell indicate?
Answer:
Pungent odor of ammonia is caused by
bacterial decomposition and urinary tract
infection
Source: Strasinger, S., Di Lorenzo, M. (2014). Urinalysis and
Body fluids. Sixth edition. Page 67
Question #4
Assume that you perform the
urinalysis in the POL where you
work. What quality control will you
employ to ensure that your
specific gravity readings are
accurate?
Answer:
Using refractometer, the specific gravity of
distilled water (reference range, 1.000 ± 0.001),
5% NaCl (1.022 ± 0.001), 3% NaCl (1.015 ± 0.001),
9% sucrose (1.034 ± 0.001), or other substances
should be measured. The result should be
recorded. The specific gravity of a normal and
abnormal control substance should be measured
and the results recorded. Verification should be
made that the results are all in range and that the
ranges are for that particular lot of control.
Source: Hubbard, J. (2010). A Concise Review of Clinical Laboratory Science. 2nd Edition. Page 317
Question #5
An infant’s urine has been submitted to
the laboratory with a request for a
CLINITEST along with routine urinalysis.
Why would such a request be made?
Answer:
Clinitest is often performed on pediatric
specimens from patients up to at least
the age of 2 years. Since infants are
born with a hereditary metabolic
disorder which is galactosemia, in which
they cannot break down galactose and
can cause liver disease, retardation, and
death. All states have incorporated
screening for galactosemia into their
required newborn screening programs
because early detection followed by
dietary restriction can control the
condition.
Source: Strasinger, S., Di Lorenzo, M. (2014). Urinalysis and Body fluids. Sixth edition. Page 82
REFERENCES
● Strasinger, S., Di
Lorenzo, M. (2014).
Urinalysis and Body
fluids. Sixth edition.
● Hubbard, J. (2010). A
Concise Review of
Clinical Laboratory
Science. 2nd Edition.
OUR TEAM
Manalo, Nielo, Rhia
Liza, Jannacris
Alexandra Mae
PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES OF
URINALYSIS
GROUP 4 LIZA | MANALO | NIELO
Question # 6
In the lab where you work, several
patients have tested positive for
urinary protein. Classify each of the
following protein levels as marked,
moderate, or minimal and list two
possible causes of each.
5 grams /day
2 grams /day
0.2 grams /day
Answer
5 grams /day - Passage of protein from
glomerular capillary blood (mainly
albumin) into the urine. (Marked)
2 grams /day - Passage of protein from
glomerular capillary blood (mainly
albumin) into the urine. (Marked)
0.2 grams /day - Passage of low
molecular weight proteins (e.g., retinol-
binding protein, alpha-2-microglobulin,
beta-2 microglobulin) into the urine.
(Minimal)
Question # 7
Mrs. Jones’ urine specimen test
positive for nitrite and leukocyte
esterase and is strongly alkaline
(8.5). it also has an ammonia
smell. What type of illness might
she have?
Answer
If she is positive for nitrite and
leukocyte esterase and is strongly
alkaline (8.5) means that she has
bacterial infection in the urinary
tract including the bladder,
ureters, kidneys and urethra called
the urinary tract infection (UTI).
Question # 8
Mr. Chan’s urinalysis strip test for
protein was negative, yet the
physician has ordered a
precipitation test for him, which
you know also screens for protein.
Why did the doctor order a
confirmation test for an analyte
when the screening test was
negative?
Answer
Precipitation test especially the
Sulfosalicylic Acid Precipitation Test (SSA) is
a method that reacts equally with all forms
of protein.
A false-negative result occurs with highly
buffered alkaline urine or a dilute specimen
because the results of urine dipstick and
SSA tests are crude estimates of urine
protein concentration and depend on the
amount of urine produced, they correlate
poorly with quantitative urine protein
determinations.
Question # 9
Elaine’s urine specimen appears
normal, but the urinalysis strip
test reveals occult blood. She
does not understand how blood
can be present without being
obvious. The doctor has asked you
to explain this to her. What do
you say?
Answer
I will say to her that the normal
urine doesn't contain red blood
cells, except females' urine
during menstruation. Blood in
the urine is called hematuria
which is not a normal finding,
but it is not uncommon and not
necessarily a cause for alarm.
Question # 10
One of the urine specimens that
you analyze today tested positive
for occult blood. What is the
clinical significance of this
finding?
Answer
A positive occult blood test
indicates the presence of
hematuria, hemoglobinuria, or
myoglobinuria.
https://www.timeofcare.com/classification-of-proteinuria/
1
https://www.healthline.com/health/nitrites-in-
2 urine#:~:text=The%20presence%20of%20nitrites%20in,ureters%2C
%20kidneys%2C%20and%20urethra.
References 3 https://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0915/p1333.html#:~:text=A%20f
alse%2Dnegative%20result%20occurs,with%20quantitative%20urin
e%20protein%20determinations.
4 https://healthmatters.io/understand-blood-test-results/urine-
occult-
blood#:~:text=Occult%20blood%20is%20blood%20that,necessarily
%20a%20cause%20for%20alarm.
5 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-
abstract/366307#:~:text=A%20positive%20test%20for%20occult,that
%20false%2Dpositive%20results%20occur
URINALYSIS
COGNITIVE
APPLICATION
Your student group is visiting a clinical laboratory. One of the
students asks why both screening and confirmation test are
done for a single analyte. He thinks that it might be quicker and
cheaper to do just confirmation test in the first place and
eliminate screening. Explain to him why the laboratory uses
screening test in addition to confirmation tests
SCREENING TEST
CONFIRMATORY
TEST
Applied to groups of On sick or ill people
physically healthy people
Applied to a single patient
Less expensive Based on evaluation of signs
and symptoms and lab findings
Less accurate
More expensive and accurate
Not a basis for treatment Used as a basis for treatment
You are employed in a
clinical laboratory
where you perform a
urinalysis that test
positive for bilirubin.
With what infectious
disease might this
patient be infected?
The patient may be
suffering from bile duct
obstruction, cirrhosis or
hepatitis.
As the clinical worker in charge of
the urinalysis section, how will
you maintain quality control of
urine testing?
A procedure manual
containing all the procedures
performed in the urinalysis
section must be available for
the reference area and must
comply with the CLSI
guidelines.
Jerry is having a busy day in
the laboratory. He dips
urinalysis trips into several
different urine specimens
at the same time and
attempts to read several
urinalysis strips
simultaneously. What
problem do you see in this
scenario?
Reagent strip is intended for
only one specimen not for a
pool testing. This may cause
false positives and false
negative results for the
patients involved.
Clarisse has just received the
printout from the new urine
chemistry analyzer for the first
batch of samples that she is
testing using the new
instruments. She cannot find
anything on the printout about
color or clarity of the samples
and fears that the instrument is
malfunctioning. What to do you
think might be the problem?
Chemical analyzers is used for
the chemical examination of the
substances that can be found in
a urine specimen. This may not
include the physical
characteristics of urine such as
color and clarity.
Group 4: LIZA, MANALO, NIELO
