a) Early morning urine The best urine specimen for routine analysis is collected in the morning. It is usually concentrated and has an acid pH. Casts and cells are poorly preserved in dilute or alkaline urine and traces of dissolved substances such as protein and sugar can be missed if the urine is very dilute.
b) Random urine This specimen can also collected at any time and is convenient for the patient and is suitable for most screening purposes.
c) Preservative Used For routine analysis, no preservative is required but the urine is best examined fresh. Bacterial growth will ruin a specimen if analysis delayed for more than 3 hours. Refrigeration is the best way to preserve it if analysis is delayed. Refrigeration for more than 24 hours is not recommended.
d) Container for urine collection The container used must be thoroughly clean and free from any detergent or disinfectant residue since the oxidants contained in such cleaning agents may cause the test areas for glucose and blood to indicate false positive results. After the urine is collected, the container should preferable be sealed.
The container used must be thoroughly clean and free from any detergent or disinfectant residue since the oxidants contained in such cleaning agents may cause the test areas for glucose and blood to indicate false positive results.
