Correct way of collecting and handling a urine specimen for analysis
What is the proper way of collecting and handling a urine specimen for analysis?
When collecting the urine specimen, the first 200 mL of early-morning voided urine should be discarded. In men a simple midstream urine collection should suffice, whereas in women the external genitalia should be cleaned first, to avoid contamination with secretions, before collecting a midstream specimen. The specimen should be collected in a clean but not necessarily sterile container.
Urine should be analyzed within 30 to 60 minutes of voiding; the initially uncentrifuged specimen is analyzed for color, pH, specific gravity, blood, protein, and glucose. Subsequently, it is centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 3 to 5 minutes. The sediment is then examined under the microscope for various elements, such as red blood cells (RBCs) and RBC casts, white blood cells (WBCs) and WBC casts, squamous epithelial cells, hyaline, and granular casts.
