What Does a Urine Test Mainly Check For?
In daily life, urine routine tests are a common screening procedure during job entry or routine physical examinations. These tests are crucial for detecting urological diseases, yet many individuals may have limited understanding of urine tests, leading to potential misinterpretations. Let's explore what urine tests primarily assess and the common items included in routine physical examinations for job entry.
1. Urine Color: Urine contains urochrome, giving it a yellow hue. The daily excretion of urochrome remains relatively constant, and the depth of urine color varies with the volume of urine. Common abnormalities in urine color include:
- Yellow urine due to food and medication (e.g., riboflavin, rifampicin, furazolidone, rhubarb).
- Hematuria, presenting as light reddish-brown or red.
- Hemoglobinuria, appearing as dark brown or soy sauce-colored.
- Bilirubinuria, appearing as dark yellow.
- Chyluria, presenting as milky white.
2. Clarity: Normal fresh urine is mostly clear and transparent, becoming cloudy shortly after excretion.
3. pH Level: Normal urine is slightly acidic, but it can also be neutral or slightly alkaline. The pH level of urine largely depends on the type of food consumed, medications taken, and the type of illness.
Routine Physical Examination for Job Entry Typically Includes:
1. Blood Tests: Using disposable vacuum tubes for blood collection.
2. Blood Routine: An 18-item examination to screen for anemia, inflammation, and hematological diseases. This test can detect anemia, inflammation, abnormal hemostasis, hematological diseases, and temporary infections affecting the liver and spleen.
3. Liver Function: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is the most direct indicator for assessing liver function.
4. Chest X-ray: Commonly known as an X-ray examination, it primarily assesses the health of the lungs. It's advisable for those planning to conceive or already pregnant to avoid chest X-rays due to potential health risks to the fetus.
5. Internal Medicine Examination: Involves systematic checks of the heart, liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and gallbladder through palpation and auscultation.
6. Surgical Examination: Doctors visually inspect and palpate the skin, spine, and other areas to detect any abnormalities.
7. Blood and Urine Routine Tests: Standard screenings for general health status.
8. Electrocardiogram (ECG): A commonly used method to assess heart health. ECG is particularly accurate for diagnosing arrhythmias and can also provide diagnostic insights into myocardial ischemia and other non-circulatory system diseases such as hypokalemia and hyperthyroidism.
The physical examination items for job entry are generally fixed. As long as there are no significant health issues, the job entry physical examination should be uneventful.