Definition

Urine chemistry is a generic term that refers to a group of tests performed on a urine sample. See also urinalysis.

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Alternative Names

Chemistry - urine

How the test is performed

For adults and children:

Collect a clean-catch (midstream) urine sample. To do so, men or boys should wipe clean the head of the penis. Women or girls need to wash the area between the lips of the vagina with soapy water and rinse well.

As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the toilet bowl (this clears the urethra of contaminants). Then, in a clean container, catch about 1-2 ounces of urine and remove the container from the urine stream. Give the container to the health care provider or assistant.

For an infant:

Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant. For boys, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive attached to the skin. For girls, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a diaper over the infant (bag and all).

Check your baby frequently and remove the bag after the infant has urinated into it. This procedure may take a couple of attempts -- lively infants can displace the bag, making it difficult to get the specimen. Drain the urine into a container to take it to the health care provider.

The specific tests ordered by your doctor will be performed in a laboratory.

How to prepare for the test

For detailed information about how to prepare for the test, how the test will feel, risks associated with the test, and normal and abnormal values, please see the specific test as ordered by your health care provider:

Lots More Information:
•Urinalysis
Review Date:9/13/2005
Reviewed By: Robert Mushnick, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, SUNY Downstate Health Center, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.