ABSTRACT
Urinalysis provides a window into the function and some inammatory pathologic processes in the kidneys. A carefully conducted urinalysis can reveal underlying renal and systemic disorders. Evaluation of urine has been recorded since ancient times and was commonly practiced by Roman and Greek physicians.1 Uroscopy (also known as urinoscopy), or visual examination of urine, eventually evolved as a formal science among English and Italian physicians during the Renaissance. e next major contribution to the technique of urinalysis was made by omas Addis, who developed the method for quantifying urinary excretion of red blood cells (RBCs) in the diagnosis and prognosis of Bright disease.2 e science of urinalysis has further evolved in the last several decades, especially with the advent of the dipstick technology, wherein a fairly precise chemical analysis of urine can be ascertained within a few minutes by the bedside or in the clinic facility. is chapter will discuss the urinalysis procedure and its diagnostic utility in nephrology.
