Urine Biochemistry And Stool Analysis

Urine Microalbumin
Albumin is a major protein normally present in blood, but virtually no albumin is present in the urine when the kidneys are functioning properly. However, albumin may be detected in the urine even in the early stages of kidney disease. The urine albumin test (formerly called microalbumin) detects and measures the amount of albumin in the urine to screen for kidney disease.

Most of the time, tests for albumin and creatinine are done on a urine sample collected randomly (not timed) and an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) is calculated. This is done to provide a more accurate indication of the how much albumin is being released into the urine. Creatinine, a byproduct of muscle metabolism, is normally released into the urine at a constant rate and its level in the urine is an indication of the urine concentration. This property of creatinine allows its measurement to be used to correct for urine concentration when measuring albumin in a random urine sample.

The presence of a small amount of albumin in the urine may be an early indicator of kidney disease. A small amount of albumin in the urine is sometimes referred to as urine microalbumin or microalbuminuria. "Microalbuminuria" is slowly being replaced with the term "albuminuria," which refers to any elevation of albumin in the urine.

If a person's kidneys become damaged or diseased, they begin to lose their ability to conserve albumin and other proteins. This is frequently seen in chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, with increasing amounts of protein in the urine reflecting increasing kidney dysfunction. Albumin is one of the first proteins to be detected in the urine with kidney damage. People who have consistently detectable small amounts of albumin in their urine (albuminuria) have an increased risk of developing progressive kidney failure and cardiovascular disease in the future.

URINALYSIS
A urinalysis is a group of physical, chemical, and microscopic tests. The tests detect and/or measure several substances in the urine, such as byproducts of normal and abnormal metabolism, cells, cellular fragments, and bacteria.

Urine is produced by the kidneys, two fist-sized organs located on either side of the spine at the bottom of the ribcage. The kidneys filter wastes out of the blood, help regulate the amount of water in the body, and conserve proteins, electrolytes, and other compounds that the body can reuse. Anything that is not needed is eliminated in the urine, traveling from the kidneys through ureters to the bladder and then through the urethra and out of the body. Urine is generally yellow and relatively clear, but each time a person urinates, the color, quantity, concentration, and content of the urine will be slightly different because of varying constituents.

Many disorders may be detected in their early stages by identifying substances that are not normally present in the urine and/or by measuring abnormal levels of certain substances. Some examples include glucose, protein, bilirubin, red blood cells, white blood cells, crystals, and bacteria. They may be present because:

1. There is an elevated level of the substance in the blood and the body responds by trying to eliminate the excess in the urine.
2. Kidney disease is present.
3. There is a urinary tract infection present, as in the case of bacteria and white blood cells.

A microscopic examination is typically performed when there is an abnormal finding on the visual or chemical examination, or if a healthcare practitioner specifically orders it. Abnormal findings on a urinalysis may prompt repeat testing to see if the results are still abnormal and/or may be followed by additional urine and blood tests to help establish a diagnosis.

STOOL ANALYSIS
Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) Test is designed to evaluate stool samples for hidden ("occult") blood, meaning blood that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Although there are several possible causes of blood in the stool, one important cause is the presence of polyps or cancers in the digestive tract.

Colon polyps are common as people age, but most polyps do not cause any health problems and are benign. However, a benign polyp can turn into a cancerous polyp and the cancer may even spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). If detected early, colon cancer can be successfully treated. It is therefore important to determine whether pre-cancerous or cancerous polyps are present.

Polyps are finger-like growths that protrude into the cavity (lumen) of the colon or the rectum. They can be fragile and bleed intermittently, such as when food waste brushes against them. This blood is mixed in with the stool and when the amounts are small, the blood can only be detected by tests for occult blood. This small amount of blood may be the first and sometimes the only sign of polyps or early colon cancer, making the stool-based tests valuable screening tools.

Source: Testing.com - https://www.testing.com/

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