Sodium Chloride (Urine) Test

Urine sodium is a measurement of the concentration of sodium in the urine. The urine sodium is expressed as a concentration. The result must therefore be interpreted in the context of the degree of urine concentration present.

A urinalysis is a test of your urine. A urinalysis is used to detect and manage a wide range of disorders, such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes.

A urinalysis involves checking the appearance, concentration and content of urine. Abnormal urinalysis results may point to a disease or illness.

Also Known as:  Urine Test, Urine Analysis , Urine CE, Urine C/E, UCE, Urinalysis

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Test Panel: Physical properties, Chemical Tests, Dipstick Tests, Microscopic Examination

Type of urine samples:

• Random sample:
  This is a diluted urine sample and may give an inaccurate interpretation of patient health. But is best to do microscopy to evaluate WBC or RBC.
• First Morning sample:
  This is the best sample for microscopy and urine analysis. This is the concentrated urine because of urine remained throughout the night in the urinary bladder. This will contains an increased concentration of analytes and cellular elements. Urine must have remained in the bladder for 8 hours is considered as the first-morning sample.
• Urine for sugar (Postprandial 2 hours):
  Postprandial 2 hours sample collected after 2 hours of high carbohydrate diet. 
• Midstream clean catch urine:
  This sample is needed for the culture and sensitivity of urinary infection. The patient is advised to clean the urethra, then discard the first few mL of urine. Now midstream of the urine is collected in the sterile container.
• 24 Hours of a urine sample
  • In this case, discard the first urine and note the time.
  • Now collect urine in the container for 24 hours and put the last sample in the container.
  • Refrigerate the sample.
  • This 24 hours samples are needed for measuring urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, glucose, and catecholamines.
• Suprapubic collection of the urine sample:
  This is done in the patients who cannot be catheterized and the sample is needed for culture. This sample is collected by the needle.
• Catheter collection of urine:
  This is done by patients who are bedridden and can not urinate.
• Pediatric urine sample:
  In infants, special collection bags are made adherent around the urethra. Then urine is transferred to a container.

Urine Sodium

Urine sodium is a measurement of the concentration of sodium in the urine. The urine sodium is expressed as a concentration. The result must therefore be interpreted in the context of the degree of urine concentration present.

Why get tested:

The amount of sodium in your urine can help your doctor look for sodium imbalances in your body. It can help your doctor further understand abnormal values on an electrolyte blood test for sodium.It can also help determine if your kidneys are working properly. Finally, this test can find out whether you’re drinking an insufficient or excessive amount of water.

Your doctor may also order this test if they suspect you have:

• hypertension
• prerenal azotemia, a kidney disorder marked by high levels of nitrogen waste in the blood
• glomerulonephritis, a type of inflammatory kidney damage
• hepatorenal syndrome, a type of kidney failure in people with cirrhosis (which is scarring of the liver)
• medullary cystic kidney disease (MCKD), a genetic disease of cysts in the kidneys
• acute kidney tubular necrosis, a condition in which the tubules of the kidneys are damaged or dying

Sample Required:

• Can collect the random sample.
• Collect 24 hours urine sample.

Precaution for Sample:

1. Discard the first sample and collect all other samples for 24 hours.
   1. Add the last sample to the container.
2. During collection refrigerate the samples.
3. Dietary intake of sodium salt increases the sodium level.
4. Drugs like antidiuretics increases are antibiotics, steroids, laxatives, and cough medicines.
   1. Drugs that may decrease sodium level are diuretics (furosemide, Lasix) and steroids.

Normal Range:

Increase urine Sodium is seen in:

1. Diuretic therapy.
2. Dehydration.
3. Adrenocortical deficiency.
4. Diabetic Ketoacidosis.
5. Chronic renal failure.
6. Excessive use of Na⁺ in the diet.
7. Hypothyroidism.
8. Toxemia of pregnancy.
9. Syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion.

Decreased urinary sodium is seen in:

1. Congestive heart failure.
2. Diarrhea.
3. Cushing’s syndrome.
4. Malabsorption.
5. Aldosteronism (Hyperaldosteronism).
6. Inadequate sodium intake.
7. Renal diseases like kidney failure or chronic renal diseases.
8. A liver disease like cirrhosis.
9. Diaphoresis.
10. Pulmonary emphysema.
11. Inadequate intake of sodium.

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