Traditionally performed in physician offices, clinics or laboratories, urine tests are useful tools for diagnosing many disorders in the human body. They detect abnormally high or low levels of substances that may indicate a variety of conditions, including those related to the skin (e.g., hives, scleroderma). In patients with type 2 diabetes (a blood sugar disorder that may result in slow-healing skin infections), urine tests may also be used to monitor glucose (blood sugar) levels whenever blood testing is not possible.

A urine test, or urinalysis, involves normal urination, and patients usually experience no discomfort. Most tests require one urine sample. Other tests collect urine over a 24-hour period, overnight or during a specific period, such as four hours. Most urine tests involve little or no preparation and people can immediately return to their daily activities afterward.

Different urine tests may require different methods of analysis. Urinalysis may include:

• Visual examination
• Test strip examination
• Microscopic examination
• Culture