Pediatric urine testing

Today, urinalysis is one of the most common clinical tests ordered for adul t and pediatric patients. Because urine specimens are usually readily avail able and are obtained noninvasively, the urine testing is well suited for c hildren. This article discusses the common urine tests performed in childre n for screening purposes and also less common tests for diagnosis of specif ic disorders. Special considerations regarding urine specimen collection in children are discussed. Some simple tests that are underused by clinicians are mentioned, as are some exciting new molecular applications of urine te sting.