Clean Urine Collection for a UTI

One of the most common reasons that people visit an urgent care center is for urinary tract infections. While the procedure for testing and treating a UTI is simple, urgent care centers must be properly prepared to handle urine collection for UTI’s in order for labs to run an accurate test.

So what can you, as a hopeful urgent care start up or expansion, do to prepare? Here are some tips and tricks to guarantee clean urine sampling for a patient who has a UTI.

1 – Purchase the required supplies and set a standard process.

• Be sure to have supplies on hand, such as sterile urine cups and benzokonium wipes to provide an uncontaminated test result.

2 – Make sure Urine collections are uncontaminated during the collection

• The best way to insure that all urine collections for UTIs are not contaminated by surface bacteria is to provide clear communication between staff members and patients. This can take shape in many forms, such as written guidelines or procedures. Note: There is a difference between male and female urine collections, for additional resources, click here.

3 – Proper Urine Storage

• If the collected urine is going to arrive at the lab resource the same day, it is okay to store at room temperature. However, if it is going to be longer than 12 hours before the specimen arrives at the lab, store in a refrigerated area. This will make sure that all urine specimens are properly tested with the best results.

As the experts in urgent care, we are here to help you! Whether you want to start your own urgent care or expand, we will make sure you are winning every step of the way.