Examination of the contents of serous cavities helps solve the following problems: Determining the nature of the effusion being examined (exudate or transudate, i.e., whether it is formed due to inflammation of the serous membrane or is associated with a general or local circulatory disorder).
The cup test is an effective method for identifying pathologies, both chronic and acute, in the urinary tract. This method is especially important for pinpointing the precise location of the inflammatory source.
Bacteriuria is the detection of bacteria in urine. Urine bacterioscopic examination provides minimal clinical information for diagnosing urinary tract infections, so culture methods are used.
The Zimnitsky test allows for the evaluation of the kidneys' concentration function. The patient maintains a normal diet but monitors their fluid intake.
The Nechiporenko test is one way to identify inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary and renal systems. Almost all chronic, and especially acute, forms of such diseases require the Nechiporenko test.
The Addis-Kakovsky test is a very old but effective method for counting the number of red blood cells – erythrocytes, as well as leukocytes, casts (“glued together” formed elements) in urine.
In healthy individuals, glucose excreted in primary urine is almost completely reabsorbed in the renal tubules and is not detectable in urine by conventional methods. When blood glucose concentrations rise above the renal threshold (8.88-9.99 mmol/L), it begins to enter the urine, resulting in glucosuria.
The detection of protein in urine (proteinuria) is one of the most important and practically significant signs of damage to the kidneys and urinary tract, which can be either isolated or combined with other changes in the urinary sediment in the form of erythrocyturia, leukocyturia, cylindruria, and bacteriuria.
Microscopic examination of urine sediment (sediment microscopy) is an integral and essential part of a general clinical examination. A distinction is made between organized and unorganized urinary sediment.
Urinalysis and its interpretation are just as important a stage in the examination of a nephrological patient as a physical examination, and in some cases even surpass it in diagnostic value.
