Hematuria – Misconceptions

Transcript

Common misconceptions about hematuria, blood in the urine, that I would like to clear up. Misconception: if you have visible blood in the urine and it goes away, it can be ignored. Truth of the matter: even if it happens only once it can be a sign of a serious underlying problem and needs to be evaluated. Misconception: microscopic hematuria, hematuria not visible, but seen only under the microscope or on dipstick examination of the urine can be ignored, since you can’t see it. Truth: microscopic hematuria can be a sign of a serious underlying condition that needs to be evaluated. Although, the truth of the matter, it is less commonly associated with a serious problem than visible hematuria. Nonetheless, it still requires evaluation. Final misconception: testing can always pinpoint the cause of the hematuria. Truth of the matter: at times, the cause of the hematuria cannot be determined despite extensive appropriate testing. However, testing results in excluding serious underlying causes, meaning that whatever the underlying reason for the hematuria, is not of any clinical significance.