A urine sample is a common medical procedure that can be done to test for a urinary tract infection, white blood cells, protein in the urine, bacteria, pregnancy, the urine's pH, glucose and many other things. Depending on what the doctor needs to test for, will determine the type of test. The test is painless and will not require any recovery.
Clean Catch
When the doctor needs to test a person's urine, a non-contaminated sample is needed to provide the most accurate results. To obtain a clean catch, the person will be given a sterile cup and a packaged wipe. The wipe is to wash the genital area to ensure that bacteria does not contaminate the urine. The person will begin urinating to clean out the urethra from any bacteria and then stop urinating and hold the sterile cup in place and begin urinating again. According to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, 1 to 2 oz. of urine is enough to perform tests.
24-Hour Urine Collection
A 24-hour urine collection is done to test the amount of hormones a person produces over 24 hours. This test can be completed at home and the person must follow the instructions exactly and collect all the urine or the test will not be vialed and the person will have to start over. A person will begin the test in the morning and urinate in the toilet and write down the time. From that point forward, the person will urinate in a cup and then pour the urine into a sterilized container. According to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the sterilized container must be refrigerated at all times. Once the 24 hours are complete, the person will return the container to the laboratory or doctor's office.
Infant Urine Collection
To perform urine tests on infants, doctors will give the parent a sterile bag with adhesive tape and a sterile container. According to MedlinePlus, the parent will clean the genital area with a wipe and then place the sterile bag over the genitals. For boys, the penis is placed in the bag. For girls, the bag is placed around the labia. The adhesive side of the bag will stick to the skin. Then a diaper is put on to help the bag stay in place. Parents should check the bag frequently and once there is urine in the bag, pour it into the sterile container. Label the container and take it to the pediatrician's office.
