What is being tested?
This test identifies and measures the byproducts of normal and abnormal metabolism, which are eliminated from your body in urine.

A complete urinalysis consists of three distinct testing phases:

1. visual inspection, which evaluates the urine's colour, clarity, and concentration;
2. chemical examination, which tests chemically for a number of substances that provide valuable information about health and disease; and
3. microscopic examination, which identifies and counts the type of cells, casts, crystals, and other components (bacteria, mucous ) that can be present in urine.

Today, a routine urinalysis consists of the visual and the chemical examinations. Your urine may be examined under a microscope if there is an abnormal finding in one of the first two phases listed above or if your doctor specifically requests it.

How is the sample collected for testing?
Urine for urinalysis can be collected at any time. The first morning sample is the most valuable because it is more concentrated and more likely to yield abnormal results. Because of the potential (particularly in women) to contaminate urine with bacteria and cells from the surrounding skin, it is important to first clean the genitalia. Men should wipe the tip of the penis; women should spread the labia of the vagina and clean from front to back. As you start to urinate, let the urine fall into the toilet, then collect a sample of urine in the container provided.