NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)Collection RoutineMedium
A phlebotomy technician is instructing a patient on collecting a 24-hour urine specimen. Which of the following instructions should the technician provide regarding the first void?
- ADiscard the first void of the day, then start collecting.
- BCollect the first void, but only half of it.
- CSave the first void in a separate container.
- DCollect the first void of the day in the container.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Discard the first void of the day, then start collecting.
For a 24-hour urine collection, the first void of the day is typically discarded to establish a precise start time. All subsequent urine for the next 24 hours is collected, including the first void of the second day.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Partial collection is inappropriate for a quantitative 24-hour specimen.
- C. Saving it separately is not the standard procedure for a 24-hour collection and could lead to confusion or error.
- D. Collecting the first void would lead to inaccurate results as it represents urine produced before the collection period truly began.
24-Hour Urine Collection Start
To accurately begin a 24-hour urine collection, the patient should typically discard the first morning void on the starting day and then collect all subsequent urine for the full 24-hour period.
- Establishes precise collection start time
- Ensures all urine produced within a 24-hour window is collected
- Patient voids into toilet, then starts collection
- Last void collected is the first void of the next day
Memory trick: First pee 'Goes', then 'Collect All' for a full day's 'Show'.