Urea UV

What does this test measure?

Urea, synthesized in the liver as a by-product of amino-acid deamination and excreted in urine as the major route of nitrogen elimination.

Why is it ordered?

Elevated urea occurs in high-protein diet, increased protein catabolism, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, dehydration, shock and heart failure (pre-renal) or urinary-tract obstruction (post-renal); its value as a renal marker is limited by non-renal factors.

Normal range

UV: 15–39 mg/dL urea · COLOR: 14.4–48 mg/dL urea

Per the original BioSystems insert

Sample type

Serum, plasma or urine