When you think you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI), waiting days or weeks to see a provider isn’t ideal. The good news is this isn’t your only option.
Simply walk into any of our San Antonio Alamo City Urgent Care locations for a convenient urinalysis test and prompt, top-tier treatment for a wide range of urinary and kidney concerns.
Our clinics welcome walk-in visits from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
What is a Urinalysis?
A urinalysis is a test used to evaluate a urine sample to check for a urinary tract infection (UTI), assess your general health, or screen for certain urinary or kidney conditions. A urinalysis measures the content, appearance, concentration, and acidity of your urine, as well as several other important parameters.
Types of Urinalyses
Depending on your symptoms and what your provider orders, a urinalysis can involve three separate components.
Routine Urinalysis
A basic urinalysis, or dipstick test, provides important information. Think of it as a snapshot of what’s going on inside your bladder. Common parameters in a urinalysis include:
- Blood: This may indicate an infection or other kidney or bladder problems.
- Acidity: The pH of your urine can help detect a kidney or urinary issue.
- Protein: The presence of protein in urine may indicate a kidney issue.
- Sugar: Sugar is unusual in urine and may suggest diabetes.
- Infection Markers: Nitrite or leukocyte esterase (produced by white blood cells) in urine may indicate a urinary tract infection.
Microscopic Urinalysis
A microscopic urinalysis may also be part of a urine test. In this test, a sample of your urine is viewed under a microscope to assess whether it contains certain things, including:
- White Blood Cells: Also known as leukocytes, finding these in urine can indicate an infection.
- Red Blood Cells: Red blood cells can indicate a urinary tract infection or a kidney or bladder problem.
- Bacteria or Yeast: These pathogens may be seen under a microscope and may suggest an infection source.
- Casts or Crystals: Seeing these may help a provider diagnose certain kidney problems.
Urine Culture
A urinalysis can help a provider quickly detect a UTI, while a urine culture can provide specific information about the bacteria causing the infection and the antibiotic that can eliminate it.
After performing a urinalysis, a provider may order a urine culture. A urine sample is allowed to culture for 48-72 hours. In the case of a UTI, the bacteria causing the infection will typically multiply and be visible under a microscope. A urine culture may help a provider choose an appropriate antibiotic or adjust treatment as needed.
Interpreting Urinalysis Results
Your provider can evaluate the information from a urinalysis in light of your symptoms and medical history to reach a rapid diagnosis and get you the best treatment. For example, finding white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria in a urinalysis—combined with the symptoms of a urinary tract infection—can help your provider quickly diagnose a UTI and begin appropriate treatment.
How Long Does a Urinalysis Take?
Starting an urgent care urinalysis is as simple as collecting a urine sample. You will be given instructions on providing a “clean catch,” an uncontaminated urine sample.
At Alamo City Urgent Care, our onsite labs enable us to provide urinalysis results quickly. A urine culture, as mentioned, typically takes two to three days.
Advantages of Urinalysis Testing
A urinalysis is a simple, often noninvasive test that can quickly provide valuable information, enabling your provider to start treatment (in the case of a UTI) or do further testing (in diagnosing diabetes).
By combining urinalysis results with a physical exam, your medical history, and other testing, your provider can determine the best course of action. For example, finding white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria in a urinalysis—combined with the symptoms of a urinary tract infection—can help your provider quickly diagnose a UTI and begin appropriate treatment.
Role of Urinalysis in Preventive Healthcare
A urinalysis is like a window into your health. Besides helping to diagnose UTIs, urine testing can check your kidney function to detect or monitor kidney failure. Urinalysis can also check for kidney stones, detect bladder cancer, and help to diagnose diabetes.
Urinalysis enables your provider to screen for and treat a variety of conditions, making it a vital part of preventive healthcare. Urine testing is just one of the many urgent care services provided at Alamo City Urgent Care.
Why Choose Alamo City Urgent Care for Your Urinalysis Needs?
Alamo City Urgent Care offers convenient access to trusted, excellent medical care. Featuring onsite labs with a wide range of rapid diagnostic testing, Alamo City Urgent Care is an excellent choice for urinalysis testing. We provide fast diagnosis and treatment for many minor and non-life-threatening medical issues.
We’re committed to providing rapid, exceptional care to our San Antonio community. Visit us to discover what makes Alamo City Urgent Care your best choice for exemplary, personalized care near you.
