Urinalysis during pregnancy

Urinalysis in pregnancy is an important laboratory diagnostic study. It is on the basis of the results of a general urine test during pregnancy that such a terrible pathology as late gestosis (preeclampsia) and pyelonephritis can be recognized even if clinical manifestations are not yet available. We will consider the importance of a general analysis of urine during pregnancy.

Urinalysis - transcript of pregnancy

When deciphering the result of a urine test, the following indicators are evaluated in the future mother:

1. Color and amount of urine. The amount should be at least 10 ml, while only the average portion is collected. The color of urine in the norm should be straw-yellow.
2. The acidity of urine depends on the nature of the nutrition of the pregnant woman. If the future mother prefers protein food, then the urine reaction will be acidic. If the diet of a pregnant woman a large number of vegetables, fruits and dairy products, the reaction of urine will be alkaline. With severe acid urine reaction in pregnant women, one can think of the development of early gestosis, which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
3. The most important indicator of urinalysis is the determination of proteinuria . Normally, pregnant women should not have protein in their urine. The appearance in the urine of protein above 0.033 mg indicates a lesion of the kidneys. This pathology is characteristic of the second half of pregnancy and is called late gestosis (preeclampsia). In such cases, the appearance of protein in the urine is combined with increased blood pressure and peripheral edema. If the clinical symptoms of preeclampsia progress, then this is the basis for hospitalization of a pregnant woman in an obstetric hospital. In severe cases, a woman has to give birth through cesarean section surgery to save the mother's life and her baby.
4. Leukocytes in the pregnant urine can be present from 0 to 5 in the field of view. An increase in the number of leukocytes in the general analysis can speak of an inflammatory disease of the urinary system. The most common cause of leukocyturia is pyelonephritis.
5. Another important indicator of the general analysis of urine in pregnancy is the appearance of bacteria. Bacteriuria is another confirmation of acute pyelonephritis in a future mother. Leukocyturia and bacteriuria may be accompanied by pain in the lower back and an increase in body temperature up to 39 °.
6. The admixture of salts in the urine (urate, phosphate and oxalate) in normal pregnancy should be reduced, since most of it goes to the formation of the skeleton of the baby. An increase in these compounds during pregnancy gives reason to suspect a pathology of the urinary system.
7. The appearance of glucose in the general urine analysis can speak of gestational diabetes mellitus .
8. Ketone bodies should not normally be. Their appearance in the analysis of urine is a confirmation of early gestosis or diabetes mellitus of a pregnant woman.
9. Cells of flat epithelium and cylinders can be present in the analysis of urine in a single amount. Increasing them can talk about the pathology of the urinary system.
10. Hematuria is an increase in the amount of erythrocytes in the urine sample above the norm (0-4 in the field of vision).

What should I do if poor urinalysis results are obtained in pregnant women?

A poor urine test during pregnancy is the basis for a more extensive study. Firstly, it is necessary to find out whether the woman was collecting the morning urine correctly and assigning her a second analysis. If necessary, urine analysis is prescribed for Zimnitskiy and Nechiporenko. To confirm or refute the diagnosis, ultrasound kidneys are prescribed.

How to take urine during pregnancy?

For analysis, morning urine should be collected. Initially, it is necessary to conduct hygienic treatment of the external genitalia, then collect the middle portion of urine in sterile dishes. The analysis should be delivered to the laboratory no later than 2.5 hours after receipt.

Thus, we saw that the analysis of urine during pregnancy is an important screening study that allows us to identify such formidable pathologies as gestosis, diabetes mellitus and inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract.