A 30-year-old woman is seen by her physician. She has a temperature of 101°F and reports nausea and headache, with flank (below ribs and above iliac crest) tenderness and pain. When asked, she states that urination is sometimes painful, that she must urinate much more frequently than usual, and that she has a sensation of urgency. A random, midstream clean catch urine specimen is collected for a routine urinalysis and culture. The condition is
acute pyelonephritis
Both the trace blood and the trace protein are relatively inconsequential. Trace hematuria could be from cystitis or a contaminant from menstruation. The patient complaints and physical examination were probably more definitive rendering the diagnosis of pyelonephritis. The gold standard for any concerns about UAs is to obtain another specimen via urinary catheterization. But I agree that the trace hematuria will probably not cause a trace proteinuria.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Medical Pharmacology
- Clinical Pharmacology