Which instruction would the nurse provide a client needing to collect a clean-catch urine specimen

What Is a Clean Catch Urine Sample?

A clean catch urine sample or specimen is one of the least invasive procedures for a urine culture or urinalysis. The clean catch method aims to prevent bacteria from the skin of the penis or vagina from contaminating the urine specimen. It’s important to follow the clean catch process to have accurate results from an uncontaminated sample.

The most common reason to get a clean catch urine sample is to test for a urinary tract infection (UTI). Symptoms of a UTI include pain or burning and a constant urge to urinate. Even if you have no overt symptoms, your doctor may request a urine culture as part of a complete physical.

However, urine cultures can also check for the following:

  • unusual infections of the bladder or kidney
  • stress incontinence
  • pH levels in pregnant women
  • the presence of kidney stones
  • drugs in the system

Your doctor may ask for a urine sample at any visit. Before your appointment, ask if you’ll need to provide a clean catch sample. If you can’t urinate at the clinic or doctor’s office, ask for a clean catch kit to take home. After completing the clean catch at home, drop off the sample as soon as possible. You’ll need to refrigerate the sample if it will be more than 30 minutes until you can drop it off.

Some clinics provide a clean catch kit consisting of a plastic container with a lid, a label for you to write your name on, and an individually wrapped, moist towel. Others ask that you use soapy water instead of providing a moist towel.

Note that it’s important to collect a urine sample midstream. This means that you should start urinating, then stop your flow. Place the collection container underneath your genital area and then release your urine flow again.

You can usually find instructions similar to those below listed on a sheet of paper provided by someone in the clinic or on a laminated instruction sheet posted in the clinic bathroom.

Steps

  1. Wash your hands.
  2. Remove sterile container from packaging and write your name on the label, if provided.
  3. Females should use a packaged, moist towel to clean the vulva and perianal areas starting from front to back. Repeat with a second moist towel.
  4. Males should retract the foreskin from the penis if necessary and use the packaged towel to clean the penis from the tip to the base. Repeat with second towel.
  5. Females should then spread their labia with one hand and start urinating into the toilet. With the other hand, they should put the urine container under the genital area to catch the stream of urine without touching any skin.
  6. Males should retract the foreskin if necessary with one hand and start urinating into the toilet. Then, position the urine container with the other hand to catch the stream without touching any skin.
  7. Don’t fill urine to the top of the sterile container. No more than half a container is necessary.
  8. Place the lid on the container and set it on the sink or someplace stable while you finish urinating into the toilet.
  9. Screw the lid securely on the container and wipe it off. Wash your hands and drop off the container to the lab as instructed.

It will take 24 to 48 hours for the lab to culture the sample. Ask your doctor how they will notify you of the results.

Note: If an infant is providing the urine sample, the clean catch kit will consist of a plastic bag with a sticky strip on one end that fits over the baby’s genital area, as well as a sterile container. Use the same cleaning methods and the plastic bags for collecting the urine. Pour the urine into the sterile container.

Cultures with greater than 100,000 colony-forming units (CFU) of a single bacteria provide a positive test result. This usually indicates an infection that needs an antibiotic for treatment.

No growth, or a negative result, indicates there is no infection present.

If the test results show the growth of several different types of bacteria, it likely means that the urine sample was contaminated during the collection process. The clean catch protocol reduces the chance of contamination.

On the NCLEX-RN® exam, you are asked to select the best answer from the four choices that you are given. Many times, the “ideal” answer choice is not there. Don’t sit and moan because the answer that you think should be there isn’t provided. Remember:

  • Identify the Reworded Question.
  • Select the best answer from the choices given.

Look at a practice question.

Step 1. Read the question stem.
Step 2. Focus on the adjectives. “Most accurate” tells you that more than one answer may seem correct.
Step 3. Reword the question stem. What is true about a clean-catch urine specimen for culture and sensitivity?
Step 4. Read each answer choice and ask yourself, “Is this true about a clean-catch urine specimen for culture and sensitivity?”

(1)  This choice describes how to obtain a catheterized urine specimen. Urine isn’t usually collected by catheterization due to the increased risk of infection. This answer does not answer the question about a clean-catch urine specimen. Eliminate.
(2)  This describes a double-voided specimen. This action is usually done when testing urine for glucose and ketones. It is not relevant to a clean-catch urine specimen. Eliminate.
(3)  This is true of a clean-catch urine specimen for culture and sensitivity. The urinary meatus is cleansed, a sterile container is used, and the penis must not touch the container. Leave it in for consideration.
(4)  This does describe a clean-catch urine specimen. The client does void a few drops of urine, stops, and then continues voiding into the container. There is only one problem. For a culture and sensitivity, the container must be sterile. Eliminate.
The correct answer is (3). Many students will select answer choice (4) because they see the expected words: “Void a few drops, then stop; continue voiding.” Be careful. This question is a good example of why scanning for expected words could get you into trouble. You may see expected words in an answer choice that is not correct.

Okay. You’ve practiced how to identify the topic of the question and how to eliminate answer choices. You know that predicting answers does not work on the NCLEX-RN® exam. You are well on your way to correctly answering NCLEX-RN® exam test questions. Unfortunately, this is just the starting point. Let’s talk about specific paths and how you can correctly decide which paths to use on the NCLEX-RN® exam. Remember, the correct answer is at the end of the path!

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Next: NCLEX Strategies: Recognizing Expected Outcomes

Which instruction would the nurse provide after a client has a cystoscopy?

The nurse should note of the following nursing care after cystoscopy: Monitor and record vital signs. An increase in pulse (tachycardia) and a decrease in blood pressure (hypotension) may indicate a sign of hemorrhage. Assess the patient's ability to void at least 24 hours after the procedure.

Which method of collecting a urine specimen is required when performing a urine culture to identify the number and the types of pathogens present?

The urine for a urine culture can be collected in several different ways. The most common method for collecting urine is the midstream clean-catch method.

Which action would be appropriate to implement when collecting a 24 hour urine test?

DO NOT urinate directly into the container. Collect urine in a clean, dry vessel and carefully pour the urine into the 24-hour collection container. Follow your physician's advice regarding any food, drink or drugs before and during collection. Empty your bladder completely upon awakening and discard this urine.

Which type of urine specimen does not include the first and last urine in the sample?

A mid-stream urine sample means you don't collect the first or last part of urine that comes out. This reduces the risk of the sample being contaminated with bacteria from: your hands. the skin around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.