In your office, patients collect samples using the patient restroom and leave the samples on the back of the toilet. You send April into the restroom after giving her the collection kit, including three towelettes, and instructing her on how to perform a clean-catch midstream urine specimen. After she returns to the exam room and you go into the restroom to collect the specimen, you notice the three towelette packages, unopened, in the trashcan. What should you do?

Question

A. Process the urine sample as usual; the towelettes are not important.
B. Let April know that you know she did not follow instructions, but proceed to process the sample.
C. Process the urine sample as usual, but make a note in April's record that this is not a clean-catch sample.
D. Explain the instructions again and send April back to the restroom to produce another sample.
E. Inform the physician or your supervisor and ask whether you should process the sample.

Answer 1

E. Inform the physician or your supervisor and ask whether you should process the sample.
April may not be able to produce another sample right now. For many tests, the clean-catch is very important. The physician or supervisor can determine whether it is necessary for the tests to be performed.