A urinalysis is a group of chemical and microscopic tests using urine. They detect the byproducts of normal and abnormal metabolism, cells, cellular fragments, and bacteria in urine.

Urine is produced by the kidneys, two fist-sized organs located on either side of the spine at the bottom of the ribcage. The kidneys filter wastes out of the blood, help regulate the amount of water in the body, and conserve proteins, electrolytes, and other compounds that the body can reuse. Anything that is not needed is excreted in the urine, traveling from the kidneys to the bladder and then through the urethra and out of the body. Urine is generally yellow and relatively clear, but each time someone urinates, the color, quantity, concentration, and content of the urine will be slightly different because of varying constituents.

Many disorders can be diagnosed in their early stages by detecting abnormalities in the urine. Abnormalities include increased concentrations of constituents that are not usually found in significant quantities in the urine, such as: glucose, protein, bilirubin, red blood cells, white blood cells, crystals, and bacteria.

COURSE CURRICULUM

This course consists of the following lessons:

• Lesson 1 – Safety in the Clinical Laboratory
• Lesson 2 – Renal Function
• Lesson 3 – Introduction to Urinalysis
• Lesson 4 – Physical Examination of the Urine - colour, clarity, turbidity, odour
• Lesson 5 – Clinical Examination of Urine - reagent strip technique, clinical significance - pH, proteins, glucose, ketones, blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrite, leucocyte esterase, specific gravity
• Lesson 5 – Microscopic Examination of Urine - sediment examination technique, sediment constituents
• Lesson 6 – Renal Disease - glomerular disorders, nephrotic syndrome
• Lesson 7 – Biological Terrain Analysis - urine, saliva and blood testing
• Lesson 9 - Interpretation of Biological Terrain Analysis

COURSE MATERIALS

Books available as part of the price of the course: