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Is Lower End Of The Normal Range Of Specific Gravity In A Urinalysis Test A Cause For Concern?
Question: Can you please interpret this for me?
Is lower end of the normal range of specific gravity in a urinalysis test a cause for concern?
Is lower end of the normal range of specific gravity in a urinalysis test a cause for concern?
Brief Answer:
Information as best as I can read it.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I can only read a part of the report because some of the writing is really quite unclear.
This is what I was able to see and what it means:
Urinalysis: "specific gravity 1.000 see notes"
In the notes below the doctor again wrote that the specific gravity was 1.000 and questions whether the patient needs a drug screening test. I believe he/she is suggesting this because a urine specific gravity of 1.000 is on the dilute side (the patient may have drunk a lot of water before the test) which is sometimes done to prevent a drug from showing up on a urine drug test. But a specific gravity of 1.000 is not abnormal, it is just on the lower end of normal range.
The doctor also noted that on the EKG he/she interpreted there to be a primary atrioventricular block that may be a normal variant, and that a cardiologist read the EKG as normal.
The examining doctor also recommended the patient follow up with his primary medical doctor regarding the urine findings of low urine specific gravity and (what I think he wrote) is something about creatinine (due to illegibility, I am assuming that is the word written and that he is referring to urine creatinine rather than serum creatinine). This part is unclear.
Is it possible for you to upload a copy of labs that shows what the creatinine was from and other indices that were checked on that lab?
He also again stated that the cardiologist read the EKG as normal.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Information as best as I can read it.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I can only read a part of the report because some of the writing is really quite unclear.
This is what I was able to see and what it means:
Urinalysis: "specific gravity 1.000 see notes"
In the notes below the doctor again wrote that the specific gravity was 1.000 and questions whether the patient needs a drug screening test. I believe he/she is suggesting this because a urine specific gravity of 1.000 is on the dilute side (the patient may have drunk a lot of water before the test) which is sometimes done to prevent a drug from showing up on a urine drug test. But a specific gravity of 1.000 is not abnormal, it is just on the lower end of normal range.
The doctor also noted that on the EKG he/she interpreted there to be a primary atrioventricular block that may be a normal variant, and that a cardiologist read the EKG as normal.
The examining doctor also recommended the patient follow up with his primary medical doctor regarding the urine findings of low urine specific gravity and (what I think he wrote) is something about creatinine (due to illegibility, I am assuming that is the word written and that he is referring to urine creatinine rather than serum creatinine). This part is unclear.
Is it possible for you to upload a copy of labs that shows what the creatinine was from and other indices that were checked on that lab?
He also again stated that the cardiologist read the EKG as normal.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
FW: i was able to down load why they ask my son to get approval. What do you think the doctor should do? this is a police job. by the way you guys are great I'm very pleased well see how it goes from here.
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I looked at the 3 additional documents - thank you. The first document which is the summary made by the examining physician reports a low (actually just on the low end of normal) specific gravity (i.e. dilute urine) and a low random urine creatinine of 11, which is below the normal range. That low urine creatinine in itself is not concerning for a few reasons:
1. The urine was dilute (low specific gravity) so creatinine, which is a breakdown product of protein, may have been diluted/washed out a bit.
2. It was a one-time check (random) vs a 24 hour urine collection which would be more accurate. It's hard to make any assessment based on a random urine creatinine unless it was very high (which is not here - it is low).
The last document must have been from a different time and it shows a urinalysis with a specific gravity that is very slightly too high (1.034) with normal upper end being 1.030. This means the urine was relatively concentrated.
The letter stating that his creatinine level was high due to protein supplements - who wrote that one and at what point? Because the only creatinine I've seen in these documents was the one that is 11, and that is low. Perhaps it was rechecked by his primary doctor already and along with a high specific gravity, was also high?
From looking at all of this, it does not look like there is anything particularly concerning, but if there is a question about the urine creatinine, that can be sorted out with a 24 hour urine test which your son's primary doctor can order. Basically, once he has the order, he would go to a lab and get a large bottle to urinate in for 24 hours and then it is checked.
The doctor may also want to have his blood drawn for serum creatinine if it wasn't already done (my guess is it probably was as part of an electrolyte or metabolic panel).
Does that answer what you are asking? Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I looked at the 3 additional documents - thank you. The first document which is the summary made by the examining physician reports a low (actually just on the low end of normal) specific gravity (i.e. dilute urine) and a low random urine creatinine of 11, which is below the normal range. That low urine creatinine in itself is not concerning for a few reasons:
1. The urine was dilute (low specific gravity) so creatinine, which is a breakdown product of protein, may have been diluted/washed out a bit.
2. It was a one-time check (random) vs a 24 hour urine collection which would be more accurate. It's hard to make any assessment based on a random urine creatinine unless it was very high (which is not here - it is low).
The last document must have been from a different time and it shows a urinalysis with a specific gravity that is very slightly too high (1.034) with normal upper end being 1.030. This means the urine was relatively concentrated.
The letter stating that his creatinine level was high due to protein supplements - who wrote that one and at what point? Because the only creatinine I've seen in these documents was the one that is 11, and that is low. Perhaps it was rechecked by his primary doctor already and along with a high specific gravity, was also high?
From looking at all of this, it does not look like there is anything particularly concerning, but if there is a question about the urine creatinine, that can be sorted out with a 24 hour urine test which your son's primary doctor can order. Basically, once he has the order, he would go to a lab and get a large bottle to urinate in for 24 hours and then it is checked.
The doctor may also want to have his blood drawn for serum creatinine if it wasn't already done (my guess is it probably was as part of an electrolyte or metabolic panel).
Does that answer what you are asking? Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
actually the dr. said his creatinine is 11x the normal. 11.0mg/dl
Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
What I read on the document was that it was 11.0 mg/dl rather than 11 times the normal but the report I read was a summary from what looks to be HR to your son rather than from the examining doctor or his own.
If the examining doctor says that it is 11x elevated, they will not accept the letter your son's primary doctor wrote to them, then a 24 hour urine test should take care of any concerns they have.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Thoughts on this.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
What I read on the document was that it was 11.0 mg/dl rather than 11 times the normal but the report I read was a summary from what looks to be HR to your son rather than from the examining doctor or his own.
If the examining doctor says that it is 11x elevated, they will not accept the letter your son's primary doctor wrote to them, then a 24 hour urine test should take care of any concerns they have.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
General & Family Physician
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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