How to store urine for analysis before handing it over to the laboratory

How to store urine for analysis is not an idle question. With him often parents parents of kids under one year and those who for health reasons are forced to take a certain type of analysis. What to store urine, more or less clear. During the Soviet era, in the course were the usual glass jars of mayonnaise and baby food.

Now pharmacies offer convenient disposable plastic containers with a tightly screwed lid. Glass bottles with a scale are still used - they are usually issued in hospitals. We'll figure out which tare to give preference to and how long the sample can be stored.

Types of urinalysis

Laboratory analysis of urine is one of the most effective and tested ways of diagnosing various diseases, determining the general state of the human body. There are two large subspecies of such analyzes: specific and nonspecific. Specific species include:

• by Nechiporenko - the morning portion of urine is examined for pyelonephritis or urethritis;
• according to Zimnitskiy - 8 portions of urine collected per day during the day are analyzed for the analysis of kidney function;
• for sugar - determination of glucose level in the urine to exclude or confirm diabetes and diagnose the condition of the pancreas;
• for protein is necessary for the detection of infectious diseases and inflammatory processes in the body;
• on the level of hCG - detection of early pregnancy;
• Reberg test - the determination of the level of creatinine produced by the kidneys and affecting the functioning of the thyroid gland, heart, and other organs.

Clinical( general) analysis - a laboratory study of the morning portion of urine on the level of leukocytes, erythrocytes, protein, mucus, transparency, color, sediment. It is prescribed to patients of any age and sex.

Each of these types of urine analysis requires the patient to have a certain preparation, which is not to eat the day before:

• alcohol;
• products that color urine: beets, blackberries, carrots, etc.;
• some vitamins and drugs affecting the composition and smell of urine, for example, rifampicin, penicillin;
• diuretics.

Before passing the urine test, you need to take care of the hygiene of the genital organs, so as not to distort the results. A woman during menstruation should not take an analysis or, in acute cases, warn her about the cycle of the treating doctor, and during the collection of urine in the vagina there must be a hygienic swab. On the eve, one should not train hard or carry heavy physical activities.

Strangely enough, the urine test must be able to pass correctly. If the portion of urine should be one, then you need to take the average. This means that a little urine should be sent to the toilet, only then fill the container. For a general analysis, 150 ml is sufficient. It is better to pour out excess, close the lid tightly, without touching its inner surface.

There are cases when, due to improper preparation of containers or incorrect collection of urine, protein, bacteria, high leukocyte count, and precipitate were found in the analysis. After hospitalization in hospital conditions, the sterile urine taken by the catheter was found to be absolutely normal.

In infants, the urine is collected in a sterile urine collection, then poured into a container. Older children can collect urine directly in a container or pour from a pre-sterilized pot. But with the transfusion, the urine loses its sterility, and, if the hygiene rules are not respected, the analysis can show an elevated level of leukocytes. The child's sexual organs before the collection of urine should be washed and damped with a clean napkin.

Best storage of

Urine for analysis should be collected in a dry, clean glass or disposable plastic container or container.

Urine analysis for Zimnitskiy, for example, should be collected from 06.00 am by the clock 8 times a day. Mixing portions can not. Therefore, you need to prepare 8 special containers, large enough to accommodate the entire single portion. Tare must be numbered, after collecting each jar put in the refrigerator.

If it is problematic to purchase jars in a pharmacy, you can use glass containers with lids. The main thing is to prepare them properly. To do this, they should be thoroughly washed, rinsed well with hot water from the surfactants contained in the detergent, dried or sterilized together with the lid.

The disadvantage of such containers for the collection of urinalysis is a high probability to leave on the walls contamination, fat, chemicals that can distort the result of the research. Therefore, they should be used only for those types of analysis where sterility is not needed( general analysis, analysis by Zimnitsky and others).Sample for bakposev, for protein, hCG, etc.it is better to collect in sterile, bought in a pharmacy capacity.

Council The "Miss Purity" Magazine recommends how and where to store urine for specific tests to seek clarification from the treating doctor.

Storage times

An important nuance is how much urine can be stored for analysis. At room temperature, the storage period can not exceed 2-3 hours. With longer storage, the sample changes color and odor, the number of microbes increases, the glucose level falls, and oxidation occurs if the container is not closed tightly. This will greatly distort the result.

It is not recommended to store urine in the refrigerator( except for Zimnitsky's analysis), preferably in a cool place, and if in the refrigerator, then on the bottom shelf at a temperature of not lower than + 4 ° C. This concerns, first of all, the collection of daily urine. For such a test, it is better to use a glass container, and at the end of the urine mix and pour the required amount into a sterile container. One-time portion should be immediately delivered to the laboratory.

Important
If urine is stored for more than 24 hours, it is not suitable for analysis.

It is not recommended to collect urine from the evening, and then take it in the morning. The composition of the morning portion better reflects the state of the body, while in the evening urine, by the morning, most indicators can change.

So, in order for the urinalysis to correctly reflect the state of health or help to establish the correct diagnosis, it is necessary to follow simple rules:

1. To listen to the doctor's recommendations regarding the collection and delivery of the analysis.
2. Do not take preparations affecting the analysis on the day before, do not eat urine-coloring products.
3. Collect urine in a specially prepared or sterile container.
4. Before the collection, perform hygiene procedures.
5. Do not collect the very first urine in the container.
6. The container with the analysis should be delivered to the laboratory within 2-3 hours after collection, except for certain types of analyzes that require collection within 24 hours.

If everything is done carefully, the result of the study can be trusted, and the correct diagnosis is guaranteed. Health to you!

We recommend reading the article: How to store stool analysis in the refrigerator