Which term describes visible blood in the urine that can be seen without a microscope?

• A. Gross hematuria
• B. Microscopic hematuria
• C. Hematuria with dipstick positive
• D. Proteinuria

Answer: (A)

This question tests telling blood in urine apart by visibility. Blood you can see with the naked eye is gross (macroscopic) hematuria—you’ll notice red, pink, or brown urine. This is different from microscopic hematuria, where red blood cells are only detectable under a microscope and the urine appears normal to the eye. A dipstick can be positive for blood even when you don’t actually see any blood, so that result isn’t the label for what’s visible. Proteinuria refers to protein in the urine, not blood. So the term for blood that is visible without a microscope is gross hematuria.