Leukocyte esterase Test

Leukocyte esterase refers to the urine test to analyze the presence of any infection and to check if the white blood cells are available in the urine. The kidneys help to eliminate wastes that are available in the blood, help to regulate the required water level, and conserve electrolytes. The urine is clear and yellow in color, but the color, content, and concentration of the urine differs from situations as well as constituents. The following are the conditions that your doctor may inform you to perform the Leukocyte esterase test:

• Back pain
• During pregnancy
• Painful urination or frequent pain while urination
• Abdominal pain
• During pre-surgery
• In a rare situation, the Leukocyte esterase test is done as part of the regular health checkup.

The test requires normal urination and therefore, there is no special preparation required to ensure the sample quality. You can also check with your doctor to check about the conditions before providing the urine sample.

As mentioned earlier, the Leukocyte esterase test is done to analyze the white blood cells in the urine. If there is a presence of white blood cells in the urine, then it means that the person has urinary tract infection. If your test results indicate positive, then the urine sample needs to be examined under the microscope to check the signs of infection. If your test results indicate negative, then it means normal or no observations for white blood cells in the urine.

The following are some of the reasons where you get the false positive results: Trichomoniasis (infection) Vaginal secretions, such as blood or mucus discharge Presence of high level of protein and vitamin C After you get the test reports, it is recommended to show the reports to the doctor for further analysis.

Approximately one to two ounce of urine sample is collected from you, through the clean-catch technique. After you visit the lab, the lab technician or the nurse provides a clear-catch container kit comprising the wipes and cleansing solution. It is recommended to urinate when the urine is in bladder for about 3 hours. Women should provide the urine sample by spreading the labia of the vagina and then clean it from front through the back. Men should first clean the tip of the penis using the cleansing solution or the wipes. Then start to urinate and let the urine first fall in the water closet and collect one or two ounce of urine sample, and then leave the rest to the water closet.