aubf physical examination

• Physical Examination of Urine includes the determination of urine color, clarity, and specific gravity
• Odor is not part of routine urinalysis but is a noticeable property
• Urine color varies from almost colorless to black
• Urine color may be due to normal metabolic functions, physical activity, or pathologic conditions
• Early physicians used a 'wheel of urine' and terms like 'white as well water', 'ruddy as pure intense gold', 'black as dark horn'
• Normal urine color descriptions include pale yellow, yellow, dark yellow
• Urochrome is the pigment responsible for the yellow color of urine
• Additional pigments include uroerythrin (pink color in refrigerated specimens) and urobilin (orange-brown color in non-fresh urine)
• Colorless to pale yellow urine may be due to dilution from recent fluid consumption or conditions like polyuria in diabetes insipidus or mellitus
• Dark yellow to amber urine may be due to concentrated specimens like first morning urine or intake of B complex vitamins
• Dark yellow urine may also be observed in dehydration or with the use of acriflavine
• Bilirubin may cause dark yellow foam when shaken for several minutes
• Orange-yellow urine may be due to medications like phenazopyridine or phenindione
• Green urine may indicate Pseudomonas infection
• Blue-green urine may be observed with medications like amitriptyline or methocarbamol
• Methylene blue can be used to detect fistulas, phenol when oxidized may be exposed with benzene, and indican may indicate bacterial infections or intestinal disorders
• Urine clarity includes nonpathologic turbidity and pathologic turbidity
• Specific Gravity is a part of the physical examination of urine
• Odor is not part of routine urinalysis but can provide preliminary information on disorders like glomerular bleeding, liver disease, inborn errors of metabolism, urinary tract infections, and renal tubular function
• Physical Examination of Urine can be used to confirm or explain findings in the chemical and microscopic areas of urinalysis
• Blue diaper syndrome is a rare genetic metabolic disorder characterized by the incomplete intestinal breakdown of tryptophan
• Intestinal bacteria break down tryptophan resulting in increased amounts of indican, commonly observed in infants
• Pink hemoglobin in red blood cells can be seen in urine from urinary tract or menstrual contamination
• Red blood cells in urine can cause cloudy urine, positive chemical test for blood, and can be seen under the microscope
• Hemoglobin in urine results in clear urine, positive chemical test for blood, and indicates intravascular hemolysis
• Myoglobin in urine results in clear urine, positive chemical test for blood, and indicates muscle damage
• Beets can cause alkaline urine in genetically susceptible individuals, appearing red with alkaline pH
• Rifampin is a TB drug that can lead to menstrual contamination
• Port Wine Porphyrins result in a negative test for blood and may require additional testing
• Red-brown RBCs oxidized to methemoglobin can be seen in acidic urine after standing, with a positive chemical test for blood
• Myoglobin, Rifampin, and Brown/Black Homogentisic Acid (alkaptonuria) can cause specific urine color changes
• Munchausen Syndrome is a form of factitious disorder where a person fabricates or induces illness to assume the patient role
• Urine clarity refers to the transparency or turbidity of a specimen, with various possible appearances
• Nonpathologic turbidity can be caused by squamous epithelial cells, mucus, or certain substances in the urine
• Pathologic turbidity can be due to red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, abnormal crystals, yeast, and other factors
• Specific gravity measures the kidney's ability to concentrate glomerular filtrate by tubular reabsorption through various methods
• Odor of urine can vary from aromatic in freshly voided urine to ammonia-like in not fresh urine, with different odors indicating different conditions