Urine Specimen Collection

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Urine Specimen Collection

• Heather Nelson, RN

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Urine Specimens

• Collected for a number of tests
• Clean voided specimens
• For routine urinalysis
• Clean-catch or midstream urine specimens
• For urine culture
• Timed urine specimens
• For a variety of tests that depend of the
  clients specific health problem

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Obtaining Samples

• Clients need varying degrees of instruction and
  assistance to provide clean voided specimens.
• About 120 ml (4 oz) of urine is generally
  required.
• Clients who are seriously ill, physically
  incapacitated, or disoriented may need to use a
  bedpan or urinal in bed. Others may require
  supervision and/or assistance in the bathroom.

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Directions for Collection

• The nurse should explain that all specimens must
  be free of fecal contamination, so voiding needs
  to occur at a different time from defection.
• Instruct female clients to discard toilet tissue
  in the toilet or in a waste bag rather than in
  the bedpan or hat, since tissue in the specimen
  makes laboratory analysis more difficult.

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Obtaining Specimen

• When the specimen is obtained, put the lid
  tightly on the container to prevent spillage and
  contamination.
• Label the specimen.

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Obtaining Timed Specimens

• All timed urine specimens should be refrigerated
  to prevent bacterial growth and decomposition of
  the urine components.
• Each voiding of urine is collected in a clean
  container and then emptied immediately into the
  large refrigerated bottle.

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Obtaining Timed Samples

• Alert signs are placed in the clients room to
  remind staff of the test in progress.
• Specimen identification labels need to indicate
  the date and time of each voiding in addition to
  the usual identification information.

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Obtaining Timed Samples

• Clients need to be told why the test is being
  done and how they can assist.
• Instructions should include the following
• All urine must be saved and placed in the
  specimen containers once the test starts.
• The urine must be free of fecal contamination and
  toilet tissue.
• Each specimen must be given to the nursing staff
  immediately so that it can be placed in the
  appropriate specimen bottle.

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Obtaining Timed Samples

• The collection period is started by having the
  client void in the toilet, bedpan, or urinal.
• This urine is usually discarded, but check
  facility procedure.
• All subsequent urine specimens are collected.