Urinalysis - The Carter Center

• Degree of cloudiness of the urine is described by using common
terms, starting by clear to turbid i.e. clear, hazy, cloudy, very cloudy
and turbid.
Clinical Implications
Freshly voided urine specimen appearance may indicate the presence of
some abnormal constituents in it. Causes of turbid urine, as it is freshly
voided includes:
• White blood cells (pus cells) that occur due to UTI
• Kidney stones
• RBC’s
• Yeast cells,
• High number of bacteria cells
• High number of epithelial cells
• Fat droplets in urine, which give opalescent appearance (rare
condition).
• Amorphous urates, in case of gout and leukemia.
• High number of mucus trades.
All the above findings are confirmed by urine microscopic examination.
Interfering Factors
High consumption of foodstuff that contains urates and phosphates may
produce cloudy urine. This is because of the precipitation of urates and
phosphates in the form of amorphus urate and phosphates respectively.
Semen, or vaginal discharge mixed with urine is other common causes
of urine turbidity. Urine specimen, stood for long period in the bench, will
become hazy or cloudy due to precipitation of crystals, mucus trades
etc., which normally occur in urine. The settlements of crystal and
mucus trades seen in urine sample are to be preserved in refrigerator.
Amorphous urates have “Brice red” precipitation, while amorphous
phosphates have white precipitations.
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