Urinalysis and Body Fluids 6th Edition by Majorie DiLorenzo, Susan Strasinger

Exercise 69

The most valuable initial aid for identifying crystals in a urine specimen is:

A. pH

B. Solubility

C. Staining

D. Polarized microscopy

Step 1 of 2

Urinary crystals:

• Crystals in urine appear as amorphous material or geometrical form.

Identification of crystals:

• Normal crystals sometimes resemble abnormal crystals.

• The primary tool to identify crystal is pH.

• Crystals are categorized as abnormal and normal and also based on their appearance in alkaline or acidic urine.

• Acidic urine contains all types of abnormal crystals.

Therefore, primary aid for identifying crystals is “pH” of urine. Hence, the correct answer is option .