Tips for Skill 21

This skill will require you to perform a full urinalysis. Upon completion of this skill, you will be able to perform a urinalysis and sediment examination, test the chemical properties of the sample, determine appearance and recognize the pathology of the sediment.

Tips for materials that need to be submitted:

• Patient records with recorded results for three patients

  • It has to be a manual urinalysis or one run on an in-house UA analyzer using a dipstick

  • You need to obtain the specific gravity by refractometer

  • You need to tell the method of collection: E.g: free catch, catheterization, cystocentesis etc.

  • List the physical properties

  • You must include a sediment. It has to be a manual sediment microscopically examined by you. You cannot use an automated sediment analyzer. In the sediment you need to:

    • Have a minimal of epithelial cells or you must obtain another sample. You cannot submit a patient example where you did not see any sediment

    • Make sure you identify the type of epithelial cells and crystals you see

    • Quantify what you see in the sediment (slight/ moderate or 1/2/3/4)

• Helpful resources in addition to your textbooks and study materials:

  • http://www.vspn.org/Library/Misc/VSPN_M02362.htm

  • http://www.eclinpath.com/urinalysis/

  • http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/clinical_pathology_and_procedures/diagnostic_procedures_for_the_private_practice_laboratory/urinalysis.html