Urinalysis: the physician's responsibility.

Careful examination of a fresh, properly collected urine specimen can indicate the presence of urinary tract disease or uncover unsuspected local or systemic pathology. Urinalysis also can lead to a more complete understanding of a systemic disorder or can assure both the patient and the physician that urinary tract disease is absent, at least within the limitations of the examination. Performing a urinalysis takes no more than 10 minutes, is relatively inexpensive and requires minimal training in proper techniques.