Interpretation of urine routine report of a diabetic patient: A review

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic patients are at an increased risk of multiple complications, among which one of the most dreaded complications is diabetic nephropathy. Early diagnosis and appropriate management will at least prolong the life of the kidney and prevent the development of end-stage renal failure. Materials and Methods: Simple urinalysis is a useful tool for early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease and helps differentiate between diabetic and nondiabetic kidney diseases. In this review, we have discussed the usefulness of urinalysis for a diabetic patient. Results: Early detection of an abnormality can be an alarming sign, and we can diagnose treatable causes of renal failure in diabetic patients. Conclusions: History, examination, and urinalysis are sufficient in most of the cases for diagnosing diabetic kidney disease. Renal biopsy is indicated in special situations where diagnosis cannot be made even after appropriate non-invasive investigations. Few limitations of the study are resource settings and knowledge of this simple test to predict an alarming sign of the kidney disease.