Urine Routine Test: Procedure, Preparation, Price, and Results

Excreting urine is important for maintaining the balance of fluids in the body and overall health. A change in the color, odor, and appearance of urine indicates severe health conditions, including urinary tract infection, liver disorders, dehydration, or kidney disorders. 

Are you experiencing frequent mutations in your urine’s appearance? If so, it is time to monitor urinary abnormalities through routine health check-ups, like the urine routine test. 

In today’s blog, you will learn about the urine routine test. So, let’s begin. 

What is a Urine Routine Test?

A urine routine test is a group of tests that monitor the appearance of your urine. It looks for protein, blood cells, and other substances in your urine. 

It is an important screening test that looks for underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or signs of infection. 

The urine routine test is popular with various names: 

• Urinalysis 
• Urine R/E
• Routine Urinalysis 
• Urine Complete Analysis 
• Complete Urine Examination 
• Urine Routine Microscopy Test 

How Does a Urine Routine Test Work? 

A urine routine test involves collecting your urine sample in a container and transferring it to the lab for analysis. Through the test, your doctor can detect underlying health conditions and plan for effective treatment and management.

The test involves a visual examination, a microscopic examination, and a dipstick test. However, your doctor may only order some of the listed tests. The testing method depends on what your doctor is looking for. 

Visual Examination 

Visual examination means your healthcare provider will examine the color and clarity of the urine with their naked eyes. Any change in color, odor, or clarity indicates urinary abnormalities. 

• Clarity

Your healthcare provider will observe whether your pee is cloudy or clear. If the substance appears to be cloudy, they may describe it as turbid. They may then plan an effective strategy for treating and managing it. 

Read to know more about cloudy urine: https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/urology-2/cloudy-urine-causes-symptoms-and-treatment/ 

• Color

The normal pee color is normally shades of yellow. In case of any abnormality, it can range from colorless, pale yellow to deep amber. This depends on your pee’s concentration level. 

Also, read https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/lab-test/urine-colour-chart-whats-the-normal-urine-colour/ 

Dipstick Test 

Dipsticks are plastic strips that have patches of chemicals. They change color when they come in contact with certain substances. The dipstick urine routine test measures various levels in your urine. These include: 

• pH Levels

Dipstick measures the acidity level in your pee. A high pH level denotes kidney issues and urinary tract infections, while a low pH level shows diarrhea and diabetes-related ketoacidosis. 

• Blood in Urine

The presence of blood in the urine shows high blood pressure, cancer, damage in your urinary tract, enlarged prostate, menstruation, and certain infections. 

• Ketones

Some ketones in urine are normal, but high levels may denote signs of ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis can call for a medical emergency, as it is a life-threatening disease. Most people have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Doctors use ketone urine tests to check for DKA. 

• Nitrites

The presence of nitrite bacteria in your urinary tract shows signs of urinary tract infections (UTIs). These may cause various symptoms, such as painful urination, lower abdominal pain, dark or cloudy urine, frequent urge to urinate, and blood in the urine. 

• Protein

A high level of protein in your urine shows kidney disease. Experts also call it ‘proteinuria’. Your urine may appear cloudy if the protein levels are more than 150 mg. Your healthcare provider may recommend additional tests, including kidney biopsy and blood tests. 

Microscopic Examination 

The microscopic examination provides an in-depth location of some substances that cause severe health conditions. It can look for crystals, red blood cells (RBC), urinary casts, infections (caused by bacteria, yeast, and parasites), epithelial cells, and white blood cells (WBC). This is the most common and used examination method. 

You can book the urine routine and microscopic test from Redcliffe Labs, which helps diagnose UTIs, kidney/ liver disease, & diabetes.

Why Do You Need the Urine Routine Test? 

A urine routine test is an important routine medical examination, as it can help in the early detection of severe health conditions. People with an underlying health condition must take a urine routine test, which can monitor management and treatment progress. 

If you are admitted to the hospital, doctors can recommend the test to monitor your health. After analyzing your urine routine test reports, this can help them plan the treatment process.

A routine urine test during pregnancy can detect the existence of hCG in your urine. This gives your doctor an idea of underlying health conditions such as kidney disease, gestational diabetes, and urinary tract infection. 

Remember to collect the urine sample as per your healthcare provider’s guidelines. 

What is the Purpose of a Urine Routine Test?

The main purpose of the urine routine test is to analyze your urine sample and locate urinary abnormalities, but the test may also serve various other purposes. 

• The test can diagnose the cause of abdominal pain, frequent urination, blood in urine, back pain, and other urinary problems. 
• It can determine the reason for sudden symptoms such as weakness, fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. 
• The urine test diagnoses severe medical conditions like kidney disease or urinary tract infection. 
• Doctors can add the test to your routine medical examination, pre-surgery examination, or pregnancy checkup. 
• The test can screen for various disorders, such as liver, kidney, and diabetes. It is especially useful before hospital admission. 

Urine Routine Test Preparation 

The urine routine test means collecting and transferring a urine sample to the lab for analysis. The test needs no special preparation. However, there are certain things that you should consider when preparing the urine routine test.

• Clean the area: Before collecting the sample, properly wash the area around the urinary opening. This can help remove bacteria that may cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). 
• Collect Midstream: Begin the sample collection by urinating in the toilet, stopping in the middle, and collecting your urine in a container. 
• Avoid Eating Certain Foods: The urine routine test needs no fasting. However, you should avoid foods like beetroot or food dyes. These color-substance foods can change the color of your urine. 
• Avoid Lifting Excessive Weight: Excessive physical activity or lifting heavy weights may increase the amount of protein and ketone in your urine, which can hinder urine routine test reports. 
• Take Only Prescribed Medicines: Certain over-the-counter medications, supplements, vitamins, and herbal drinks can affect the results. So, ensure to take only prescribed drugs from your doctor. 

Urine Routine Test Procedure 

Redcliffe Labs is a leading diagnostic service provider in India. With over 3600 tests, including blood and glucose, to genetic testing, they offer a urine routine & microscopic test at an affordable price of INR 199. Book it by visiting www.redcliffelabs.com. 

After booking the test, their phlebotomist will visit your home for sample collection. They will hand over a container for sample collection for a clean catch urine routine test procedure. 

• Wash your genital area with water to prevent contamination or bacterial infection. 
• Initially, urinate in the toilet. Then, stop the urine flow in the middle of it and collect it in a container. Remember to collect at least 30-60 milliliters. 
• While maintaining hygiene, hand over the container to the phlebotomist.

They will transfer the collected sample to the lab for analysis. Once this is complete, you will receive the urine routine test reports within 12 hours. 

Urine Test Results Explained 

The urine routine test report tells what’s happening in your body. The test measures 17 components. Your doctor compares the originated values with the normal range of the urine routine test to diagnose abnormalities in your urinary system. 

Your test reports carry numbers labeled as positive, negative, or normal. Here is a chart of normal urine test results depicting your urine functioning. 

Normal Urine Test Results Chart
Test	Normal Value
Color	Yellow
Clarity	Clear or cloudy
Bilirubin	Negative
Glucose	130 mg/dL or below
Hemoglobin/blood	Ab or below three red blood cells (RBC)
Ketones	Negative, none, or trace
Protein	Negative or trace
Leukocyte Esterase	Negative or trace
Nitrite	Negative
Urine pH	4.5-8
Urobillirubin	0.5-1 mg/dL
Urine Specific Gravity	1.005- 1.025
Bacteria	None or negative
Casts	0/LPF (low-power field)
Urine RBC	0-3 HPF (high-powered field)
Urine WBC	0-5/HPF
Yeast	None or negative

Factors that can affect the Urine Routine Test Results 

If your results indicate a negative result, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a certain medical condition. Your doctor will monitor your symptoms, medications, and medical history for proper analysis. Factors including: 

• Certain medications 
• Intake of supplements before the test
• Contamination of germs or other substances, like menstrual blood or vaginal discharge, during sample collection. 
• Lab equipment 
• Examination method

Urine Routine Test Cost

The cost of the urine routine test differs in every laboratory. It can be because of the quality, discounts, test demands, and additional fees. The urine routine test price at Redcliffe Labs is INR 199. The professionals ensure quality, affordability, and convenience, making a seamless testing procedure. 

Key Takeaways 

Your urine routine test results are within the normal range and show no signs of severe health conditions. If the level is too high or too low, it can indicate a major health issue, such as kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, or urinary tract infection. 

If your doctor sees any abnormalities, they may recommend additional tests for clarification. If you are looking for urine tests, take the urine routine test from Redcliffe Labs. They offer a home sample collection service in 220+ cities across India. Book the test and take preventive measures today.