Health Care in Developing Nations

Urinalysis in Nepal

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.”

1 Comment

  1. 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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