The most common urine collection considerations include:
• Failure to obtain a clean-catch, midstream specimen.
• Failure to refrigerate unpreserved specimen or store in a cool place.
• Failure to provide a complete 24-hour collection/aliquot or other timed specimen.
• Failure to refrigerate unpreserved specimen or store in a cool place during collection period (ie, 24 hours).
• Failure to add the proper preservative to the urine collection container prior to collection of the specimen.
• Failure to provide proper mixing of specimen with urine preservative.
• Failure to provide sufficient quantity of sample to meet minimum fill line on preservative transport container.
• Failure to provide an appropriate collection container and to refrigerate specimen when bacteriological examination of the specimen is required.
• Failure to tighten specimen container lids, resulting in leakage of specimen.
• Failure to provide patients with adequate instructions for 24-hour urine collection.
• Failure to divide specimen into separate containers for tests with such requirements.
• Failure to provide a 24-hour urine volume when an aliquot from the 24-hour collection is submitted.