Urinalysis - lab skills

Question 1

How do you perform a urine SG test?

Answer 1

1. remove any dust of refractometer prism with a tissue
2. apply 2 drops of distilled water to the prism and look through the lens - pointing prism to light
3. ensure the line is set at 1.000 USG - adjust accordingly
4. wipe off distilled water with a clean tissue
5. invert urine sample and put 1-2 drops onto the prism using a pipette
6. point the prism to light and look through lens to read USG scale
7. write down reading and consider if within normal limits
8. rinse prism with water and dry

Question 2

How do you perform a urine dipstick test?

Answer 2

1. put on gloves
2. place dipstick flat onto tissue
3. using a pipette apply one drop of urine to each reagent pad
4. compare the colour of each ragent with the standards on the pack - at required amount of time
5. write down readins and consider if theres any abnormalties to note

Question 3

how do you prepare a urine sediment slide?

Answer 3

1. invert urine sample
2. use a pipette to transfer 2-5ml into centrifuge tube
3. place tube in centrifuge ensuring it is balanced
4. centrifuge for 5mins at 2000rpm
5. discard the supernatant by pipetting it off - keep 0.5ml in the tube
6. add one drop of stain to the tube with a pipette
7. resuspend the sediment in the supernatant
8. use pipette to transfer a drop onto a microscope slide
9. place cover slip over the sample
10. look under a x10 and x40 lens with low light intensity