Urine Specimens:

Midstream Urine Specimen

1. Supplies: Sterile mid-stream urine collection kit
2. Procedure:
   
   1. Wash and dry the hands
   2. Open the specimen container, being careful not to touch inside the container or the lid
   3. Open the towelette package
   4. Females: sit on the toilet with the labia held apart; swab with a wet swab from above downwards
   5. Males: sit to help control splashing; (if uncircumcised, retract foreskin) clean around meatus and glans using a circular motion starting at the head of the penis and going down the shaft of the penis
   6. Discard towelette
   7. Commence voiding into the toilet (females need to continue keeping the labia apart)
   8. After small amount of urine is passed, place the specimen container under the stream of urine.
   9. Half fill the container with urine (30-60 ml) and complete emptying the bladder into the toilet.
   10. Place lid on mid-stream container without touching the inside of the lid.
   11. Dry outside of container if necessary with paper.
   12. Wash hands.
   13. Follow agency policy for getting urine specimen to the laboratory for testing

Foley Catheter Specimen:

• Check to see if enough urine is in the catheter tubing (10 ml). If not, clamp the tubing for 10-15 minutes.
• Supplies: nonsterile gloves, 10-15 ml syringe with 1" needle, alcohol or povidone iodine wipe, sterile specimen container
• Cleanse specimen port with alcohol or povidone iodine depending on agency policy
• Insert sterile needle into port and withdraw 10 ml of urine
• Put urine into sterile specimen container, label and package container according to agency policy
• Discard used syringe and needle into sharps containe

Capillary Blood Glucose:

Implications of test results: Normal range is 70-110 mg/dl    (Different hospitals have different normal ranges)
Low results: Hypoglycemia (The most dangerous since the brain needs sugar to function)

Signs and Symptoms: headache dizziness, drowsiness, diaphoresis, tachycardia, tremor, seizures

High results: Hyperglycemia

Signs and Symptoms: thirst, malaise, polyuria, N/V, flushed skin, dry mouth

Stool Specimens:

 Contains a small scoop

Occult Blood

• Apply thin samples in each of the boxes on the hemoccult slide, getting the samples from different parts of the stool specimen.
• Close cover and return slide to laboratory
• What you will need:
  • Paper towel
  • Wooden applicator
  • Cardboard Hemoccult slide (See above)
  • Hemoccult developing solution

Ova and Parasites
Place stool sample in a stool specimen container and send to the laboratory

Respiratory Specimens:

Sputum Specimen

• Need a sputum specimen, not saliva - the specimen must be coughed up
• Have patient take several deep breaths, then cough
• Have patient expectorate sample into the sputum specimen container without touching the container
• If patient is unable to cough up a sample, use a suction catheter and inline "mucus trap"; suction the sputum into the specimen container

Throat Culture

• Using a culturette, have the patient tip their head back and say "ah"
• Depress anterior portion of tongue with tongue blade
• Swab tonsillar area without touching culturette on any other part of the mouth or mucous membranes