Chapter 47

Question 1

What is a random urine specimen?

Answer 1

The most common method; freshly collected in a clean (non-sterile) container.

Question 2

What is a first morning urine specimen used for?

Answer 2

Collected when the patient wakes up; more concentrated; used for pregnancy, nitrite, or protein testing.

Question 3

What is a two-hour postprandial urine specimen?

Answer 3

Collected 2 hours after a meal; used for diabetes screening and home diabetes testing programs.

Question 4

What is a 24-hour urine specimen used for?

Answer 4

Collected over 24 hours to provide quantitative chemical analysis (e.g., hormone levels, creatinine clearance); requires LOTS of patient education.

Question 5

What is a second-voided specimen?

Answer 5

First void of the morning is discarded; second is collected; used to determine glucose levels.

Question 6

What is a clean-catch midstream specimen used for?

Answer 6

Used when a UTI is suspected; patient cleans urinary meatus, voids a small amount, then collects midstream urine.

Question 7

What is the recommended urine sample volume?

Answer 7

30–50 mL

Question 8

What is the normal color of urine?

Answer 8

Pale straw to amber

Question 9

What does urine turbidity describe?

Answer 9

Cloudiness; varies from clear to cloudy

Question 10

What is normal urine output over 24 hours?

Answer 10

800–2000 mL

Question 11

What does persistent foam in urine indicate?

Answer 11

Possible protein; urine should not have bubbles that last

Question 12

What can abnormal urine odor indicate?

Answer 12

Infection or high glucose levels

Question 13

What is specific gravity?

Answer 13

The weight of urine compared to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water

Question 14

What is the normal pH range of urine?

Answer 14

5.5–8

Question 15

What does urine pH measure?

Answer 15

Acidity or alkalinity of urine

Question 16

What does glucose in urine indicate?

Answer 16

Possible diabetes

Question 17

What do ketones in urine indicate?

Answer 17

Uncontrolled diabetes

Question 18

What does protein in urine indicate?

Answer 18

Possible renal disease

Question 19

What does blood in urine indicate?

Answer 19

Infection, trauma, or urinary tract damage

Question 20

What do bilirubin and urobilinogen in urine indicate?

Answer 20

Possible liver disease

Question 21

What does nitrite indicate?

Answer 21

Presence of a UTI

Question 22

What does leukocyte esterase in urine indicate?

Answer 22

UTI

Question 23

What are casts in urine?

Answer 23

Protein accumulation from kidney tubules

Question 24

What type of cells may be seen in urine microscopy?

Answer 24

Epithelial cells, WBCs, RBCs, or other urinary/ genital tract cells

Question 25

What are crystals in urine?

Answer 25

Formed substances that can appear when specimens are allowed to cool

Question 26

What is urine toxicology?

Answer 26

Study of poisonous substances, drugs, and their effects on the body

Question 27

What substances may urine toxicology test for?

Answer 27

Herbicides, poisonous gases, therapeutic drug levels

Question 28

What do toxicology tests detect for drugs?

Answer 28

Drug metabolites, not the drugs themselves

Question 29

What is required for legal urine specimens?

Answer 29

Chain of custody documentation by everyone handling the sample

Question 30

What hormone does urine pregnancy testing detect?

Answer 30

HCG human chronic gonadotropin

Question 31

What does Human chorionic gonadotropin testing for?

Answer 31

Pregnancy levels

Question 32

What happens to HCG levels after implantation?

Answer 32

Serum HCG levels double every few days

Question 33

When can HCG be detected in urine?

Answer 33

1 week after implantation or 4-5 days before a missed period

Question 34

What is the best urine sample for pregnancy testing?

Answer 34

First voided morning urine