What are WBC casts?

Urinary casts are tiny tube-shaped particles that can be found when urine is examined under the microscope during a test called urinalysis . Urinary casts may be made up of white blood cells, red blood cells, kidney cells, or substances such as protein or fat.

What causes white blood cell casts in urine?

The presence of casts of all types indicates renal in- volvement. Casts represent different dis- ease states; eg, RBC casts are most associated with glomerular disease, whereas WBC casts are indicative of tubular disease, especially infection and acute pyelonephritis.

What does casts in urine indicate?

The presence of hyaline casts typically indicates a decreased or sluggish urine flow, which can be a result of strenuous exercise, diuretic medications, severe vomiting, or fever.

What is the normal range of WBC in urine?

Microscopic examination/urine sediment. WBCs, RBCs, epithelial cells, and, rarely, tumor cells are the cellular elements found in the urinary sediment. The number of WBCs considered normal is typically 2-5 WBCs/hpf or less. A high number of WBCs indicates infection, inflammation, or contamination.

What is considered very high WBC?

In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells (leukocytes) in a microliter of blood is considered a high white blood cell count.

What are bacteria in urine?

Urine contains fluids, salts and waste products but is sterile or free of bacteria, viruses and other disease-causing organisms. A UTI occurs when bacteria from another source, such as the nearby anus, gets into the urethra. The most common bacteria found to cause UTIs is Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Is white blood cells in urine bad?

Most causes of blood in your urine are not serious, But sometimes red or white blood cells in your urine can mean that you have a medical condition that needs treatment, such as a kidney disease, urinary tract infection, or liver disease.