clin path lab urine

four categories of routine urinalysis

satisfactory method for preserving urine. should be stored for no longer than 6 hours. amorphous crystals can form

satisfactory method for chemical analysis only.

prevents microbial growth and aids in preservation of cells and casts. cannot be used for urine cultures

very difficult to work with. may interfere with ketone determination

one part phenol to nine parts urine

most commonly used stain for urine

urine color - when shaken has a greenish yellow foam at the top indicating the presence of bile pigments

urine color- RBCs indicating hematuria or hemoglobinuria

urine color- equine urine when left sitting too long

urine color- drug induced

specific gravity indicates the concentration of dissolved solids in the urine

specific gravity normals

normal pH values

reading a urinometer

test will be false positive when under stress and in cold samples.

small amount is normal in dogs, cats should be negative

normal urine is negative, end products of metabolism. false positive seen in red samples and aspirin

tests for red blood cells, hemoglobin and myoglobin. lysed in alkaline urine

will see increased results if read from the refrigerator, so read at room temp

normal urine should be negative, proteinuria could be a sign of renal disease

too numerous to count

urine centrifuge

large, flattened cells. abundant cytoplasm and a small round nucleus. derived from bladder or urethra or vagina

come from the bladder, granular

small round epithelial, large nucleus, from renal rubules

amount of sediment is noted as...

bacteria reported as....

colorless, semitranparent, dissolved in alkaline urine, 0-2/40x is normal

fine or coarse, contain disintegrated tubular epithelial cells, 0-1/40x is normal

cast formed from epithelial cells of the renal tubules, rare

cast that are yellow or grayish, smooth appearance, broad and highly refractile, broken off square edge with cracked and serrated edge, renal failure

cast with few too many refractile globules colorless, renal disease

casts are deep yellow to orange and appear as a homogenous cylindrical mass

casts RBCs present, yellow to orange, renal hematuria due to nephritis, glomerulonephritis, renal trauma, rare

casts contain WBC that adheres to the hyaline matrix, renal infections, few or many can be seen in a cast

long, narrow, wavy and twisted ribbon-like in appearance, normal in the horse

normal crystals in acidic urine (<7 pH)

grossly appear pink and microscopically appear yellow, small fine granules, heat will dissolve them

yellow or red brown, rhombic or irregular plates, prisms, diamonds, rosettes, or oval with paired ends. NaOH will disolve them, not common unless in dalmations

colorless and envelope (octahedral). small squares with two diagonal lines, can also look like dumbbells, HCl will dissolve them, often seen with ethylene glycol poisoning (monohydrate form) diabetes, liver and renal disease

yellow-brown or colorless elongated prisms, plates or needles. dissolve with water or acetic acid, rarely seen, no clinical significance

colorless granules in masses, can be dissolved by acetic acid, no clinical significance

normal crystals seen in alkaline urine (<7 pH)

colorless prisms, 'coffin-lid', struvite, will dissolve in acetic acid, frequently found in normal urine, can also form uroliths.

small colorless spheres or ovals and also as dumbbells. can appears like amorphous phosphates but with more distinguished granules, common in horses, acetic acid will dissolve them

brownish-yellow speres, 'thorn-apples' dissolved by acetic acid and are abnormal in freshly voided urine, liver disease or porto-systemic shunts.

abnormal types of crystals

crystals are yellow or dark red needles, plates or granules, found in acid urine, liver disease

crystals that look like grapefruits, highly refractile, yellow-brown, liver disease, dissolved in hot acetic acid and hot alcohol

crystals colorless fine needles, highly refractile, acidic urine, dissolved in ammonium hydroxide and HCl

crystals and hexagonal plates with unequal sides, highly refractile, acidic urine, rapidly destroyed by bacteria

yellow-brown, asymmetrical, striated sheaves and round forms, acidic urine

crystals that are large, flat, transparent plates, usually notched, acidic and neutral urine, severe kidney disease