Kidney-Urine Tests

Some urine tests require only a couple tablespoons of urine. Other tests require collection of all urine produced for a full 24 hours. A 24-hour urine test shows how much urine your kidneys produce, can give an more accurate measurement of how well your kidney are working and how much protein leaks from the kidney into the urine in one day.

Urinalysis

Includes microscopic examination of a urine sample as well as a dipstick test. The dipstick is a chemically treated strip, which is dipped into a urine sample. The strip changes color in the presence of abnormalities such as excess amounts of protein, blood, pus, bacteria and sugar. A urinalysis can help to detect a variety of kidney and urinary tract disorders, including chronic kidney disease, diabetes, bladder infections and kidney stones.

Urine Protein

This may be done as part of a urinalysis or by a separate dipstick test. An excess amount of protein in the urine is called proteinuria (pro-TEEN-yu-ree-uh). A positive dipstick test (1+ or greater) should be confirmed using a more specific dipstick test such as an albumin specific dipstick or a quantitative measurement such as an albumin-to-creatinine ratio.

Microalbuminuria

This is a more sensitive dipstick test which can detect a tiny amount of protein called albumin in the urine. People who have an increased risk of developing kidney disease, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure, should have this test or an albumin-to-creatinine ratio if their standard dipstick test for proteinuria is negative.

Creatinine Clearance

Creatinine is a waste product that comes from the normal wear and tear on muscles of the body.  Creatinine clearance test compares the creatinine in a 24-hour sample of urine to the creatinine level in your blood to show how much waste products the kidneys are filtering out each minute.