Overview of the Formation, Components, Color, and Abnormal Findings of Urine

Park, Se Jin; Shin, Jae Il

doi:2013.17.2.29

J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol > Volume 17(2); 2013 > Article

Review Article

J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2013;17(2): 29-34. doi: https://doi.org/10.3339/jkspn.2013.17.2.29

소변의 생성, 구성성분, 색깔, 그리고 이상소견

박세진, 신재일

¹아주대학교 의과대학 소아청소년과학교실, 아주대병원 소아청소년과
²연세대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실, 세브란스 어린이병원 소아청소년과*

Overview of the Formation, Components, Color, and Abnormal Findings of Urine

Se Jin Park, Jae Il Shin

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ajou University Hospital, Ajou University School of Medicin, Suwon, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics*, Severance Children's Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding Author: Jae Il Shin ,Tel: 02-2228-2050, Fax: 02-393-9118, Email: shinji@yuhs.ac

Received: October 2, 2013; Accepted: October 13, 2013.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http:// creativecommons. org/licenses/bync/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Urine production is vital for the removal of certain waste products produced by metabolism in the body and for the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. The kidneys produce urine by the following three precisely regulated processes: filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. Urine is composed of water, certain electrolytes, and various waste products that are filtered out of the blood through the glomeruli. The physical features of urine are evaluated carefully to detect any abnormal findings that may indicate underlying diseases in the genitourinary system. A change in urine color may indicate an underlying pathological condition, although many of the causes of abnormal urine color are benign effects of medications and foods. A characteristic and specific odor may be the result of a metabolic disease rather than a concentrated specimen or a simple urinary tract infection. Although transient changes in urine output and nocturia are usually benign conditions, persistent abnormal findings require further workup, with a thorough medical history taking. This article presents many of the conditions that physicians may encounter and will help them in the diagnosis and in establishing a treatment plan.

Key words: Kidney | Urine formation | Urine color | Urine odor | Urine output