Getting the right urine specimen for the right test

(Aotea News, September 2011)

Different urine tests require different types of urine specimens.

In a recent audit of specimens and requests, we found that medical practitioners often send one urine sample for cytology, urine culture and tuberculosis tests.

These three tests require specific -- and differing -- sample criteria to give the best yield when looking for specific pathogens or cell types.

Please provide separate, clearly labelled specimens and request forms, as shown in the chart.