EXPERIMENT #1 PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF URINE Questions:

1. Why do you think physical examination of the

Discussion urine is important?
Urinalysis has been performed for many years as 2. Does a change in the urine color indicate a
the diagnostic tool for many pathologic conditions by disease? Why?
medical practitioners. One part of urinalysis is the 3. What does a high specific gravity of a patients
physical examination of the urine. It provides initial urine suggest?
informations on the health status of the patient based 4. What are the substances that cause turbidity of
on the following parameters: URINE ODOR, COLOR, the urine?
TRANSPARENCY (CLARITY), pH, SPECIFIC GRAVITY and 5. What are the factors that can cause variations
VOLUME. It also gives rough information on the possible in urine color?
expected results of the microscopic examination.

1. URINE ODOR
- Freshly voided urine has a faint odor of
aromatic compounds. Ammoniacal odor
becomes predominant as the specimen
stands.

2. URINE COLOR
- The normal yellow color of urine is
cause by the urinary pigment
UROCHROME
- GRADING: Straw, Light yellow, Yellow,
Dark yellow, Amber, Green, Black,
Pink/Red, Blue/ Purple

3. TRANSPARENCY (CLARITY)
- Pertains to the clarity of the specimen
determined by visually examining the
mixed specimen while holding it in front
of a light source.
- GRADING: Clear, Hazy, Cloudy, Turbid,
Milky

4. pH
- It is the reflection of the ability of the
kidney to maintain normal hydrogen oin
concentration in plasma and
extracellular fluid

5. SPECIFIC GRAVITY
- NORMAL RANGE: 1.010 1.035
- Methods:
a) REFRACTOMETRY
Principle: Refractive Index
b) REAGENT STRIP
Principle: pKa (dissociation
constant of a polyelectrolyte)
c) HYDROMETER/URINOMETER
Principle: Density
EXPERIMENT #2 CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF URINE
TEST FOR PROTEIN (ALBUMIN) DETERMINATION
A. HEAT AND ACETIC ACID TEST
Principle: Protein is denatured by heat and
precipitated
Procedure:
1) Fill a test tube with urine full.
2) Gently heat the upper inch or so to
boiling. Leave the lower portion
unheated for contrast.
3) Add 3-5 drops of 5% acetic acid and
heat again.
4) If albumin is present the urine becomes
cloudy.
5) Observe and record the result.
B. EXTONS TEST / SSA
Principle: Sulfosalicylic acid precipitates
protein irreversibly
Procedure:
1) Mix equal volumes of urine and reagent
in a test tube
2) If cloudiness appears, warm gently
3) If cloudiness increases upon warming,
albumin is present
4) Observe and record your result
C. HELLERS TEST
Procedure:
1) Place 1ml of HNO3 in a test tube
2) Stratify 5 drops of urine on the HNO3
3) A white ring at the point of contact
indicates the presence of albumin
4) Observe and record your result
D. ROBERTS TEST
Procedure:
1) Place 3ml of Roberts reagent in a test
tube.
2) Stratify 1ml of urine on the reagent
3) A white ring at the point of contact
indicates the presence of albumin
4) Observe and record your result
TEST FOR GLUCOSE DETERMINATION
A. BENEDICTS TEST
Principle: In a hot alkaline solution, glucose
reduces copper salts to cuprous oxide
Procedure:
1) Place 5ml of Benedicts reagent
2) Add 8-10 drops of urine
3) Place the test tube in a water bath for
2-3 minutes
4) Let stand until cool. Observe and
record your result
B. FEHLINGS TEST
Procedure:
1) Mix equal parts of Fehling A and B
2) Dilute the mixture with 1 ml of H2O
3) Warm the solution in the water bath
until the solution remains clear
4) Add urine drop by drop until about 5ml
has been added
5) Observe and record your result
C. NYLANDERS TEST
Principle: In a hot alkaline solution, glucose
reduces bismuth salts to metallic bismuth
Procedure:
1) Place 5ml of urine in a test tube
2) Add 0.5 ml of Nylanders reagent
3) Heat for 3-5 minutes. Allow to stand
for a few minutes before reading
4) Record your results:
o If BLACK: indicates presence of
sugar
o If BROWN: indicates trace
amount of sugar
o NO CHANGE: Negative for sugar
o If SOLUTION TURNS BLACK
AFTER COOLING: Reaction is due
to substances other than sugar
TABLE OF RESULT FOR HEAT TEST
- Negative No cloudiness
+/- Trace Barely visible cloudiness
+ 1+ Distinct cloudiness; non-granular
++ 2+ Distinct cloudiness; granular
+++ 3+ Heavy cloudiness with distinct
flocculi
++++ 4+ Dense heavy cloud with large
flocculi; MAY SOLIDIFY

TABLE OF RESULT FOR RING TEST

- Negative No ring at the point of contact
+/- Trace Barely percepitible ring at black
background
+ 1+ Ring is distinct at black background
++ 2+ Ring is definite against light
+++ 3+ Ring is heavy against light
++++ 4+ Ring is thick and dense against ligh

TABLE OF RESULT FOR GLUCOSE TEST

- Negative No change in color

+/- Trace Green opacity, no precipitate
+ 1+ Green solution with yellow ppt.
++ 2+ Green to yellow solution, with yellow
ppt.
+++ 3+ Muddy orange solution, with yellow
ppt.
++++ 4+ Orange to brick red ppt.