Urinalysis: Evaluating the Condition of Potential Donors’ Kidneys for a Kidney Transplant

Abstract

This experiment concluded that Donor X and Donor Y were the best candidates for the kidney transplant that the patient needed. This is because all their glucose, ketones, protein, and blood levels were normal, indicating healthy kidneys. It was hypothesized that Donor X and Donor Y would be the healthiest for the transplant because of their younger age while Donor Z was older, therefore being more likely to have complications. For this experiment, we used urinalysis to identify which donor would be the healthiest for the kidney transplant. To test the hypothesis, we used urinalysis testing trips, the potential kidney donors’ and the patient's urine samples, a master reference sheet, and a data collecting sheet. At the end of the experiment, the hypothesis tested positive because Donor X and Donor Y were the healthiest for the transplant in comparison to Donor Z. Donor Z had high glucose levels that are possibly related to their age therefore it was concluded that Donor Z would not be a healthy option for the patient in need of the transplant.

Introduction

 Kidneys are vital to life. The major function of kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. It also produces hormones to help regulate blood pressure and control calcium metabolism. There are substances within your urine that indicate if you have healthy kidneys. These being ketones, blood, protein, and glucose. These levels being normal indicates healthy kidneys. If not, there could be complications. 

For example, if there are high ketone levels within your urine this could be an indication that there is a possibility of diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes that can lead to a coma or even death. Normal ketone levels are important when wanting to live a healthy life. 

Blood levels within urine are also extremely important. Blood within the urine is a cause for concern because it is not a normal finding. There are numerous possibilities of what could cause more blood (or hemoglobin) in urine than normal.

When dealing with urinalysis, glucose is also a factor to investigate. Glucose is normally not present in urine and if it is there is, it is a condition called glucosuria. This could be from excessively high glucose levels that are seen with people who have uncontrolled diabetes.

Protein levels are also taken into consideration during urinalysis. Normally, there will be no protein or a small amount of protein in the urine. When urine protein is elevated, a person has a condition called proteinuria. This may be a sign of kidney disease.

We take all these levels into account when looking for potential donors for a patient in need of a kidney transplant.

For this experiment, we are looking into the case of a 20-year old woman who is experiencing kidney failure and needs a transplant. Three of the patient’s relatives, her mother (“Donor X”), her youngest brother (“Donor Y”), and her grandmother (“Donor Z”) are willing to donate one of their kidneys to her so she can live. This transplant is possible with a living donor because a healthy individual can live with only one kidney. An experiment was performed on the three potential donors and the patient to determine the potential donors’ eligibility for becoming a kidney donor for the kidney transplant. Because the experiment was done on multiple potential donors, it was determined that the best options for this transplant would be donor X and donor Y because all their levels were tested as normal. 

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The objective of this experiment was to determine whether the potential donors’ were healthy enough to become a donor for a kidney transplant. The potential donors’ kidneys had to be tested because there are 3 major concerns when donating a kidney to a patient. These are the condition of the potential donors’ kidneys, the compatibility of the patient’s and potential donors’ blood and tissue types, and the potential donors’ health and chances for surviving the removal of one kidney. By conducting clinical laboratory tests and evaluating the data we were able to determine which relative (potential donor) could safely donate one of their kidneys to the patient with kidney failure. 

To accurately determine this safeness, we used urinalysis to evaluate the condition of the potential donors’ kidneys. Urinalysis involves several tests to measure the concentration of various substances that are present in the urine. With this method of evaluating the kidneys, the patient will then be given a healthy kidney from a healthy donor so the donor and the patient may both live healthy and prosperous lives after the transplant. We hypothesis that Donor X and Donor Y would be healthy candidates due to their younger age while Donor Z would not because they are older and more likely to have complications. If the potential donors' glucose, blood, protein, and ketones levels are normal then they are healthy enough to partake in a kidney transplant. At the end of the experiment, we were proven to be correct because Donor X and Donor Y had normal levels of glucose, protein, ketones, and blood while Donor Z had high glucose levels.

Materials and Methods

 Urinalysis requires several tests to measure the concentrations of ketones, blood, protein, and glucose that is present in the urine. If any of these levels are not normal, it could cause concern for potential kidney disease. Urinalysis has special test strips that contain indicators that change color when they encounter these four specific substances that are in the urine. Therefore, the materials needed to conduct this experiment were urinalysis testing strips, the potential kidney donors’ and patient's urine samples, a master reference sheet, and a data collecting sheet. To begin the experiment, it was made sure that each urine sample was correctly labeled with the corresponding potential donors’ names to avoid confusion and incorrect collection of data. Then proceeds the testing of the urine. The urinalysis testing strips were dipped into each urine sample for 3 seconds apiece and then compared to a master reference sheet that showed what healthy level of each substance within the urines colors should look like compared to high and low levels. If the color from the testing strip matched the comparison sheet, it was determined that the specific substance had “normal” levels. If not, then the specific substance was then determined if the amount within the urine was “high” or “low”. After testing all potential donors’ samples, it then was concluded who would be the best candidate for the kidney transplant based on if all their levels were considered normal.

Results

 The independent variable in this experiment is the urine samples. The dependent variable is the ketones, glucose, protein, and blood levels within each urine sample. Between the patient and donors X, Y, and Z, they all had normal ketones and blood levels. Abnormalities begin to show in the protein test where the patient had a high protein level in comparison to donors X, Y, and Z where they had normal protein levels. A second abnormality begins to form in the glucose test as well where the patient and donors X and Y had normal glucose levels. In the glucose test, donor Z tested high in glucose levels. Based on the results from all the tests it is determined that donor X or donor Y would be perfect candidates for a kidney transplant with the patient because their ketones, blood, protein, and glucose levels all tested normal. Donor Z would not be a good candidate for the kidney transplant because although their ketones, blood, and proteins levels were normal, their glucose levels were high making them an unhealthy fit for the patient in need of a new kidney.

Discussion/Conclusion

       Because the patient had high protein levels in her urine, Donor Z would not be a good candidate for the kidney transplant. Donor Z had normal ketones, blood, and protein levels but had a high glucose level. A kidney transplant between Donor Z and the patient would cause the same problems that the patient is trying to avoid now with her kidneys. It would also harm Donor Z because both of their kidneys are causing high glucose levels. If they were to then only have one kidney, it would lead to more health problems. Donors X and Y would be considered healthy candidates because all their ketones, protein, glucose and blood levels were tested as normal. This allows Donor X and Donor Y to have one healthy kidney post-surgery. Donor X and Donor Y having healthy kidneys allow the patient to receive a healthy kidney from either donor with little to no complications post-surgery. In comparison to the hypothesis, the hypothesis was correct because Donor X and Y are healthy transplant donors while Donor Z was not because of high glucose levels that were predicted because of older age. This experiment can be done again because urine can be produced again, and urinalysis testing strips are always available. If there is a sanitary space with all materials in place and labeled correctly, there should be no human error. For results to be more accurate in determining the healthiness of the potential donors more tests could be done on other different levels within urine like pH, bilirubin, and nitrite. With our current findings, we can make sure that the 20-year old and the healthy potential donor chosen for the transplant are both seen to be healthy post-surgery.

References

• “How Your Kidneys Work.” National Kidney Foundation, 10 May 2017, www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk.
• “Ketones in Urine: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Jan. 2020, medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/ketones-in-urine/.
• “Urinalysis.” Understand the Test & Your Results, labtestsonline.org/tests/urinalysis.