American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [114]
Urine Tests
Doctors use urine tests to evaluate urine for signs of infection in the kidneys or bladder, or for the presence of blood or other substances. A person may have a urine test for a number of reasons, including as part of an annual physical examination, before surgery, to diagnose a urinary tract infection, and to confirm and monitor a pregnancy. A urine sample can be taken at the doctor’s office or at home (and brought to the doctor’s office).
It is essential for urine samples to be taken under clean conditions. Before having a urine test, you will be asked to wash your genital area to make sure that the urine is not contaminated by bacteria that normally live on the skin. You will be given a clean container in which to urinate. To get a midstream or clean-catch urine sample, you will be asked to urinate into the toilet for a few seconds before urinating into the container.
Urinalysis
A doctor performs a urinalysis to diagnose or monitor conditions that affect the kidneys, such as kidney disease or diabetes. The doctor will use a test strip to check for specific suspected abnormalities, such as the presence of bacteria. The sample is also examined more closely under a microscope to look for bacteria or other microorganisms and for specific substances, such as mucus, red blood cells, or white blood cells that can be signs of health problems.
Urine Culture
Doctors perform urine cultures to diagnose urinary tract infections. After the urine is collected, a sample is put on a slide in the laboratory and placed in an incubator for 24 hours. If bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms grow on the sample, the test result is considered positive. The sample is then tested with various drugs to determine what medication to use to treat the infection.
PART THREE
First Aid and Home Caregiving
1
First Aid
The main goal of first aid is to help an injured (or, in some cases, ill) person recover or to prevent an injury from getting worse. The person giving first aid should also provide reassurance and make the person as comfortable as possible until professional help arrives. For many minor injuries, first aid may be all that is needed. More serious injuries may require medical attention and further treatment.
The more knowledge you have before an injury or emergency occurs, the more helpful you can be. Review this section and familiarize yourself with first-aid techniques and procedures. Some topics such as allergic reactions (see page 912), asthma attacks (see page 640), seizures (see page 686), and diabetic coma (see page 897) are covered in other sections of the book. Sports injuries and the standard treatment for most athletic injuries are covered on pages 978 to 982.
Make a practice run to the nearest hospital emergency department so you know the best route in case you have to drive an injured person there yourself. Information is no substitute for hands-on experience; take first-aid classes to prepare yourself for an emergency. Because cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be used only by a person trained in the procedure, this book does not include instructions for CPR.
Priority Checklist for Emergencies
Rapid and accurate assessment of what needs to be done is crucial. Follow these steps in an emergency:
1. Call or have someone else call 911 or your local emergency number, or send someone for help.
2. Check breathing. If the person is choking, perform the Heimlich maneuver (see page 155). If breathing has stopped, immediately start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (see page 156).
3. Check heartbeat. If the person’s heart has stopped, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if you have had CPR training.
4. Control any bleeding (see page 160).
5. Treat any burns (see page 163) or broken bones (see page 167).
6. Prevent shock (see page 162).
Index to First-Aid Procedures
Allergic