Pharmacy 112

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Urine

Urinalysis analysis of the volume and physical, chemical, and microscopic properties of urine which reveals much about the state of the body. Physical Analysis Characteristics Values Volume Condition >2000 mL/day polyuria* 1000 2000 mL/day normal <500 mL/day oliguria 0 100 mL/day anuria *may occur in conditions such as diabetes mellitus and glomerulonephritis Values 1.001 1.035 < 1.007 < 1.010 <1.022 (after 12h fast) >1.035 Description Normal hydration relative dehydration renal concentrating ability is impaired very high levels of glucose factors: diet diuretics blood pressure body temperature mental state high urine specific gravity indicates the presence of more solute values lower than normal: dehydration values higher than normal: diabetes insipidus or use of diuretics Notes

volume

specific gravity

Color nearly colorless

milky

Cause of Coloration dilution of normal pigments fluid consumption fat globules pus corpuscles urochrome urobilin antibiotics pyridium bilirubin anticoagulant uroerythrin uroporphyrin hemoglobin myoglobin biliverdin clorets pseudomonas infections

Possible Conditions diabetes insipidus

due to urochrome and urobilin urine darkens upon standing due to the release of urobilin concentrated urine is darker in color abnormal urine varies from nearly colorless to black depending on the pathological condition present

color

pale yellow to amber yellow orange to orange red

chyluria or purulent diseases of the urinary tract normal excreted drugs

red or reddish

hemorrhages, hemoglobinuria, trauma jaundice

greenish yellow or brown, near black

|Kim Morano

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Pharmacy 112 senna rhubarb chelidonium dirty green or cholera, thypus indigo forming blue substances methylene blue brown to black hematin methemoglobin* *form of hemoglobin where iron component has been oxidized from ferric to ferrous state thus incapable of carrying oxygen transparency pH slight aromatic odor odor clear and transparent which becomes turbid upon standing (4.6 8.0) 6.0 brown yellow to red brown

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Urine

may be affected by diet, drugs and pathological conditions acidic high protein diets alkaline vegetarian diets may have an ammoniacal odor upon standing due to hydrolysis of urea to ammonia diabetics have a urine with a fruity odor due to the presence of ketone bodies

Chemical Tests Test Procedure 10 drops of urine in a test tube + 1 drop 20% potassium chromate gently agitate the tube, observe + 2.9% AgNO3 solution one drop at a time count the number of drops needed to change the color of the solution from bright yellow to brown compute for chloride and sodium chloride concentration each drop of 2.9% AgNO3 is equivalent to: 61 mg chloride/100 mL urine 100 mg NaCl/100 mL urine |Kim Morano Visible Result and Principle Involved formation of brick red silver chromate by the reaction Notes modification of Mohr titration silver chromate precipitates after all chlorides are precipitated by silver nitrate carbonate and uric acid may affect the test: factors that may affect the chloride and sodium chloride in urine: dietary salt intake Increase dehydration, starvation, diabetic acidosis addisons disease, dehydration, starvation Decrease diarrhea, acute renal failure, emphysema, Cushings syndrome pyloric obstruction, diarrhea, emphysema

Chloride and Sodium Chloride (Fantus Test)

Na

Cl

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Pharmacy 112

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Urine normal values chloride: 140-250 mEq/24 hr sodium: 75 200 mg/24 hr benedicts reagent: copper sulfate, anhydrous sodium carbonate, sodium citrate normal result: negative abnormal result: glucosuria gives positive results in people with diabetes mellitus, brain injury and myocardial infarction

Glucose (Benedicts Test)

10 drops urine + 5mL Benedicts reagent in a test tube place test tube in a boiling water bath remove from water bath then read the results according to the table in the manual

formation of brick red precipitate due to reduction of cupric ion to cuprous ion

Color blue green yellow olive green orange yellow brick red (with ppt.)

0 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+

Amount of Glucose negative 0.5 g/100 mL urine 1.0 g/100 mL urine 1.5 g/100 mL urine 2.0 g/100 mL urine 2.5 g/100 mL urine

Bile Pigments (Shaken Tube Test)

fill the test tube halfway with urine, stopper and shake vigorously yellow color of foam indicates presence of pigments

formation of yellow foam due to birilubin that alters the surface tension of urine

birilubin is usually not detected in normal individuals abnormal result: bilirubinuria high levels of bilirubin in urine

References nd Abaya, VF, Santos, AD, Ver, LC, Wood, RG, Monje, VD, Basilio, B 1984, A laboratory manual for biochemistry, 2 edition. Spencer, D 2007, Urinalysis: Chemical Testing, viewed 28 Feb 2012, <http://www.texascollaborative.org/spancer_urinalysis/ds_sub2.htm>. Taylor, WH 1951, Use and Interpretation of Fantus Estimation of Urinary Chloride, viewed 28 Feb 2012, < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2069896/pdf/brmedj035190025.pdf>. th Tortora, G, Derrickson, B 2009, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 12 edition, John Wiley & Sons Inc, USA, 1047, D6-D7.

|Kim Morano

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