Collecting a urine specimen is a common medical procedure used for diagnostic testing and monitoring various health conditions.
PROCEDURE FOR URINE COLLECTION
- Instruct patient to wash perineum
- Instruct to avoid directly into clean, dry container or into bedpan and then transfer
- Instruct not be contaminate outside of container
- Instruct to collect 3/4th of container
- Wear gloves while handling urine
Urine Collects from Catheter
- Clamp tubing for about 15 to 30 minutes before obtaining sample
- Wash hands thoroughly
- Disconnect bladder drainage tubing
- Cover distal end of drainage tube with sterile gauze till procedure is over
- Clean tip of urinary catheter with antiseptic
- Release clamp and collect urine in container
- Remove gauze and discard in K-Basin
- Reconnect tubing
- Wear glove while handling urine
After Care
- Clean the outer part of the container
- Label the container
- Send immediately to laboratory with laboratory request
- Wash hands thoroughly
- Record the procedure in nurse’s record sheet
24 Hours Urine Collection
Collection of 24 hours urine specimen means the collection of all the time voided in 24 hours, without any spillage of wastage
Purpose
- To detect kidney and cardiac conditions
- To measure total urine protein and creatinine
- To measure total urine electrolytes, ketogenic steroid, oxalate, porphyrins, drugs and vitamins
Normal Characteristics of Urine
- Volume: 1000-2000 ml excreted in 24 hours
- Appearance – clear
- Odor – aromatic color, if kept for some time, ammonia smell
- Color – straw or amber in color
- Reaction – acidic
- Specific gravity – 1.010 to 1.020
- Constituents of urine – 96 % water, 2% urea, and 2% uric acid. Urates, creatine chlorides, phosphates, sulfates and oxalates also may be present in minute’s quantities
Preliminary Assessment
Check
- Doctor order for any specific instructions
- General condition and diagnosis of the patient
- Self care ability of the patient
- Mental status to follow directions
- Articles available in the unit
Preparation of the Patient and Environment
- Explain the sequence of the procedure
- Provide privacy
- Keep the articles at the bedside
- Obtain laboratory request and container
Equipment
- Bedpan or urinal
- Dry container (24 hours collection bottle)
- Clean pouring (measuring) jar
- Funnel
Procedure
- Before beginning 24 hours urine collection, patient is asked to void
- Discard the sample and note the time
- Document the starting time of urine collection in the nurses record
- Advise not to spill urine
- All urine passed over next 24 hours is collected in large container
- Exactly 24 hours after, patient is instructed to void and specimen is included
After Care
- Send the sample immediately to the laboratory with laboratory request
- Replace the articles after cleaning
- Record the procedure in the nurse’s record sheet
General Instructions
- The entire collected urine should be stored in a covered container in a cool place
- Add preservatives to the urine to prevent decomposition and multiplication of bacteria, e.g. boric acid, formalin, chloroform, etc
- The urine should be thoroughly mixed and all or part sent to the laboratory in a clean bottle
- Requisition form must be duly filled and signed
