In The Healing of America, T.R. Reid discusses some ‘interesting’ urinalysis techniques practiced by Dr. Tenzin in Nepal.
“When they do urinalysis up at Khunde [a Western-style clinic in Nepal], all the do is stick a slip of paper into a sample,” he said. ”But that can’t be enough. I just don’t think it is possible to diagnose a medical problem and propose a course of treatment without tasting the urine. Certainly I wouldn’t begin a diagnosis of your shoulder until I had tasted your urine. It tells so much about a patient’s health status.”
Tags: Nepal, Urinalysis
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It’s actually true though. In Medieval Times diabetes would be diagnosed by tasting the urine (sweet). Also, a specific Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) caused by Proteus (very common bacterial cause of UTI) can often be detected by a “cheap wine smell”.
Although, I am very glad tasting urine is not my profession.
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