Interpret a urinalysis result
Read a urinalysis (or protein electrophoresis) value against its normal range to decide whether a result is healthy or signals a problem.
- Comparing a value to a normal range: A urinalysis is read by checking a measured value against a stated normal range, so students must first be able to compare a number to a range.
- What a healthy nephron sends to urine: Healthy urine has no glucose and no large protein; knowing the normal output is needed before judging an abnormal result.
Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.
Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.
A urinalysis reports what is dissolved in urine. Read each value against its normal range; healthy urine normally shows no glucose and no large protein.
Use the table. For glucose, how does the patient's value compare to its normal range?
Reviewed| Substance | Patient value | Normal range |
|---|---|---|
| Glucose | 250 mg/dL | 0 mg/dL (none) |
| Protein (large) | 0 mg/dL | 0 mg/dL (none) |
| pH | 6.0 | 4.5 to 8.0 |
- A.The glucose value is inside its normal range
- B.The glucose value is above its normal range
- C.The glucose value is below its normal range
- D.The table does not list a normal range for glucose
Show the worked solution ▾
Answer: B. The glucose value is above its normal range
- Step 1: Read the glucose row: The patient value is 250 mg/dL and the normal range is 0 mg/dL (none).
- Step 2: Compare: 250 is far above 0, so the glucose value is above its normal range.
Why it's right: The normal glucose value is 0 (none), and 250 mg/dL is well above that, so glucose is above its normal range.
- A: 250 is not within a normal range of 0.
- C: 250 is greater than 0, not below it.
- D: The table lists 0 mg/dL (none) as the normal range for glucose.
Aligned to HBS: interpret urinalysis · reading level ~grade 9
- A clinic reads a urinalysis row by row, comparing each value to its normal range before deciding what the results mean together.
Fill these in as you work through the lesson.
- Urinalysis (a test of what is in urine):
- Normal range (the healthy band of values):
- Glucose (should not appear in healthy urine):
- Protein (large ones should not appear in healthy urine):
Healthy urine should contain glucose and large protein, so a result is compared to its to decide if it is a problem.
- Why do you need a normal range printed beside a urinalysis value to interpret it?
- Name one substance that should read 'none' in healthy urine.
- If a value falls inside its normal range, what does that suggest about that part of the test?
A urinalysis report lists glucose, protein, and pH, each with a normal range. Pick one value, compare it to its normal range, and state whether that single value is normal or abnormal and how you decided.