Urinalysis Reference Ranges (UA)
| Test | Normal Range | Critical Values |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Pale yellow to deep amber | Red or pink, very dark amber, orange, green or blue, cloudy, or foamy urine suggest pathology and need follow-up |
| Odor | Not foul smelling | Foul odor suggests infection or metabolic disorder |
| Volume | 750-2,000 mL/24 hr | Oliguria: 300-500 mL/day; Anuria: <50 mL/day; Polyuria: >2.5 L/day |
| pH | 4.5-8.0 | Outside range may reflect UTI, stone risk, or systemic acid-base disorders |
| Specific gravity | 1.003-1.032 | High suggests dehydration; low suggests poor concentrating ability (for example diabetes insipidus) |
| Osmolarity | 40-1,350 mOsmol/kg | Persistent extremes suggest impaired renal concentrating/diluting function |
| Urobilinogen | 0.2-1.0 mg/100 mL | Elevated levels may indicate liver disease, biliary obstruction, or hemolysis |
| White blood cells | 0-2 WBCs/high-power field | Pyuria or elevated WBCs suggests urinary tract inflammation or infection |
| Leukocyte esterase | None | Positive result suggests urinary inflammation or infection |
| Protein | None or trace | Elevated levels suggest kidney damage or kidney disease |
| Bilirubin | <0.3 mg/100 mL | Elevated levels suggest liver disease or bile duct obstruction |
| Ketones | None | Positive ketones suggest metabolic stress, diabetes, or prolonged fasting |
| Nitrites | None | Positive nitrites strongly suggest bacterial UTI |
| Blood | None | Positive blood suggests stones, infection, trauma, or other urinary pathology |
| Glucose | None | Positive glucose suggests diabetes or other metabolic disorders |
Clinical Significance
NCLEX Pattern
NCLEX questions often ask which urinalysis result needs immediate reporting, and which cue combinations indicate dehydration, infection, retention risk, or renal dysfunction.
Elevated specific gravity
- Indicates: concentrated urine from reduced free-water balance, often fluid-volume-deficit-hypovolemia-and-dehydration
- Nursing action: review intake history, evaluate output trends, and correlate with hemodynamic and clinical signs
Positive leukocyte esterase or nitrites
- Indicates: probable urinary-tract-infections
- Nursing action: obtain ordered culture, monitor symptom progression, and escalate if fever, flank pain, or worsening status appears
Abnormal 24-hour volume pattern
- Indicates: oliguria, anuria, or polyuria states with different causes
- Nursing action: verify measurement accuracy, assess fluid/medication context, and escalate sustained abnormal output
Related Labs
- basic-metabolic-panel - Electrolytes and kidney-related values add context to urinalysis abnormalities.
- arterial-blood-gas-abg - Acid-base findings can explain persistent urine pH abnormalities.
- serum-creatinine - Pairs with urinalysis to assess filtration and kidney injury progression.