|  | Conditions Treatments | Kidney Disease

The Significance of White Blood Cells in Urine

Have you ever provided a urine sample to your doctor during an annual checkup ? Did you wonder what tests the laboratory performs on urine samples and what the results indicate? A white blood cell count is one of those tests.

  1. Function

    • White blood cells are part of the body's defense system against bacteria, viruses and other foreign elements.

    Identification

    • Laboratory techs use a microscope to count white blood cells in urine sediments.

    Significance

    • Normal white blood cell count in urine is low. The presence of a large number of white cells in urine -- knows as pyuria -- indicates an infection or inflammation in parts of the urinary tract system.

    Symptoms

    • The presence of large numbers of white blood cells in a urine causes it to be cloudy with an unpleasant odor. Abdominal pain, fever and burning when urinating are symptoms that may accompany high white cells count in urine.

    Considerations

    • The presence of a high number of white cells in urine may be due to contamination with vaginal secretions or other factors. Always follow the lab guidelines for urine specimen collection.

Kidney Disease - Related Articles