Kidney Stones - Risk Factors

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Urine Tests

Urine samples are required to evaluate features of the urine, including its acidity, the presence of red or white blood cells, whether infection is present, any crystals, and elevated or decreased components that inhibit or promote stone formation.

Clean-Catch Urine Sample for Culturing. Once it has been determined that a kidney stone is present, the patient is usually given a collection kit, including filters, to try to catch the stone or gravel as it passes out. A clean-catch urine sample is almost always required for culturing. To provide this, the following steps are taken:

• Patients must first wash their hands thoroughly, then wash the penis or vulva and surrounding area four times with downward strokes, using a new soapy sponge each time.
• The patient must then begin urinating into the toilet and stop after a few drops.
• The patient then positions the container to catch the middle portion of the stream. Ideally, this urine will contain only the bacteria and other evidence of the stone.
• The patient then urinates the remainder into the toilet.
• The cap must then be securely screwed on without the patient touching the inside of the rim.

Click the icon to see an image of a calcium urine test.

Twenty-Four Hour Urine Collection. A 24-hour urine collection may be needed to measure urine volume and levels of acidity, calcium, sodium, uric acid, oxalate, citrate, and creatinine.

• The patient should not change any of his or her usual eating or drinking patterns when performing this test.
• The patient discards the first urination on the day of the test.
• Afterward all urine passed over the next 24 hours is collected, including the first urination on the morning of day two.
• A second 24-hour urine collection may be needed to determine if treatment is working or if the first analysis was not conclusive and the doctor suspects a less common stone, such as a cystine or xanthine stone.

Click the icon to see an image of a uric acid urine test.

Urine tests that are used to determine the specific chemical and biologic factors causing the stone should be performed about 6 six weeks after the attack, since the attack itself may change the levels of such substances, including calcium, phosphate, and citrate. It should be noted that calcium levels in the urine may be abnormal even in many people without stones. In addition, high urinary concentrations of calcium may pose a greater or lesser risk depending on age. (In one 2001 study, middle-aged adults with high urinary calcium concentrations had a much greater risk than older adults with high levels.)