Lesson 1Crystals: common types (calcium oxalate, uric acid, struvite, cystine), pH dependence, and clinical implicationsThis lesson details common urine crystals like calcium oxalate, uric acid, struvite, cystine, their shapes, pH links, health meanings, stone risks, and artifact differences.
Calcium oxalate forms and stone riskUric acid crystals and metabolic causesStruvite crystals and infection stonesCystine crystals and inherited disordersDrug and iatrogenic crystal identificationEffect of urine pH and storage on crystalsLesson 2Use of stains (Gram stain, Sternheimer-Malbin, toluidine blue) for enhanced identification and when to performThis lesson reviews stains like Gram, Sternheimer-Malbin, toluidine blue for urine sediment, when to use, prep, steps, and better views of bugs, cells, casts.
Indications for performing special stainsSternheimer-Malbin stain principlesGram stain for bacteria and yeastsToluidine blue for nuclear detailSlide preparation and fixation choicesInterpreting stained vs unstained findingsLesson 3Recognition of bacteria, yeasts, parasites and differentiating contamination from significant bacteriuria (presence of WBCs, casts)This lesson teaches spotting bacteria, yeasts, parasites in sediment, telling real infection from dirt using white cells, casts, skin cells, and patient info.
Morphology of urinary bacteria on wet prepRecognition of budding yeasts and pseudohyphaeCommon urinary parasites and artifactsCriteria for significant bacteriuriaIndicators of contamination vs infectionCorrelation with WBCs, casts, and symptomsLesson 4Quantitative reporting: RBCs, WBCs, epithelial cells per high-power field and reporting conventionsThis lesson explains counting red cells, white cells, skin cells per view, averaging, ranges, and standard words for clear reports.
Selecting representative microscopic fieldsCounting RBCs and WBCs per HPFEpithelial cell types and quantitationConverting counts to reportable rangesStandard report phrases and abbreviationsCommon pitfalls in cell quantitationLesson 5Identification and classification of casts: hyaline, granular, RBC, WBC, waxy, fatty (oval fat bodies) and pathologic significanceThis lesson covers cast types like hyaline, granular, cell, waxy, fatty, their making, shapes, disease links, and reporting.
Pathophysiology of cast formation in tubulesHyaline and finely granular casts morphologyRBC and WBC casts and renal diseaseWaxy and broad casts in chronic damageFatty casts and oval fat bodiesStandardized cast reporting conventionsLesson 6Resuspension best practices and preparation of multiple slides (wet mount, fixed/stained) for comprehensive examThis lesson gives best ways to remix sediment and make slides: wet, fixed, stained, and when each helps full checks.
Techniques for gentle sediment resuspensionPreparing high-quality wet mount slidesWhen to prepare fixed and stained slidesHandling limited-volume specimensLabeling and organizing multiple slidesStorage and reuse limitations of slidesLesson 7Microscope selection and setup: brightfield requirements, condenser settings, phase contrast use and when to apply itThis lesson picks microscopes for urine, brightfield setup, light adjustments, phase contrast when needed for better views.
Essential features of a urine microscopeKöhler illumination and brightfield setupCondenser and diaphragm adjustmentsAdvantages of phase contrast for sedimentWhen phase contrast is most beneficialRoutine maintenance and performance checksLesson 8Microscopy quality assurance: eyepiece calibration, inter-observer comparison, image capture and archivingThis lesson covers microscope quality: eyepiece setup, viewer checks, photos, storage, training, records.
Eyepiece micrometer use and calibrationField size equivalence between microscopesInter-observer comparison and consensusImage capture and secure archivingOngoing competency and proficiency testingDocumentation of QC and corrective actionsLesson 9Systematic microscopic examination protocol: low-power scan (10x) for casts and crystals, high-power (40x) for cells and bacteria, oil immersion (100x) for confirmationThis lesson steps through microscope checks: low power for casts/crystals, high for cells/bugs, oil for sure IDs.
Slide placement and initial focusingLow-power scan for casts and crystalsHigh-power review of cells and bacteriaUse of fine focus to assess morphologyWhen to apply oil immersion objectivesRecording findings during the scanLesson 10Standard sediment preparation: recommended centrifugation speed and time (g and minutes), sample volume and decanting techniqueThis lesson details standard prep: mix, spin speed/time, volume, pour-off, avoid cell loss/artifacts.
Specimen mixing and pre-centrifugation checksCentrifugation speed, time, and g-forceChoosing and measuring sample volumeSafe supernatant decanting techniquesResuspending the sediment uniformlyAvoiding artifacts during preparation
