Bma Illustrated Medical Dictionary

or from a catheteror cystoscope. Other

possible causes include irritant chemi-

cals, such as antiseptics and some

spermicidal preparations. Treatment of

infection is with antibiotic drugs.

urethroceleAn anatomical abnormality

in females caused by a weakness in the

tissues in the front wall of the vagina.

The urethra bulges backwards and down-

wards into the vagina. A urethrocele may

be congenitalbut more commonly devel-

ops after childbirth.

-uriaA suffix relating to urine.

uric acidA waste product of the break-

down of nucleic acidsin body cells. A

small amount is also produced by the

digestion of foods rich in nucleic acids,

such as liver, kidney, and other offal.

Most uric acid produced in the body

passes to the kidneys, which excrete it

in the urine, but some passes into the

intestine, where it is broken down into

chemicals excreted in the faeces.

When uric acid excretion is disrupted,

for example by kidney disease, it may

result in hyperuricaemia.

urinalA container for urine, useful for

bedridden men (women use a bedpan).

urinalysisTests on urine, including mea-

surements of its physical characteristics

(such as colour, cloudiness, and concen-

tration), microscopic examination, and

chemical testing such as dipstick urinaly-

sis. This involves dipping a test stick into

a urine sample; chemically impregnated

squares on the stick change colour in the

presence of test substances. The inten-

sity of colour change shows the amount

of the substance present in the urine.

Urinalysis can be used to check kidney

function, and to help detect and diag-

nose urinary tract and other disorders.

urinary diversionAny surgical proced-

ure (temporary or permanent) that allows

urine flow when the outlet channel of the

urinary tract, via the bladder and urethra,

is obstructed or cannot be used, or the

bladder has been surgically removed.

Temporary urinary diversion is some-

times needed when urine passage is

blocked by prostate glandenlargement

or by urethral stricture. A tube is passed

directly into the bladder through a

small opening in the abdomen (see

catheterization, urinary). Temporary div-

ersion is also required after some urinary

tract operations; a small tube is intro-

duced into the kidney and brought to

the abdominal surface.

Permanent diversion is needed when

the bladder has been surgically removed,

when neurological bladder control is

severely disturbed, such as after severe

spinal injury, or if there is an irreparable

fistulabetween a female patient’s bladder

or urethra and her vagina. A section of

the ileumis removed to create a substi-

tute bladder, into one end of which the

surgeon implants the ureters. The other

end of the substitute bladder is then

brought out through an incision in the

abdominal wall. The patient wears a bag

attached to the skin to collect urine.

urinary retentionInability to empty the

bladderor difficulty in doing so. Urinary

retention may be complete (urine can-

not be passed voluntarily at all) or

incomplete (the bladder fails to empty

completely). In males, causes include

phimosis, urethral stricture, prostatitis, a

URETHROCELE URINARY RETENTION

U

URINALYSIS

Colour

chart

Test stick

is dipped

in urine

sample

Urine

sample

Squares on

test stick are

matched to

colour chart

DIPSTICK-URINALYSIS