The role of tubes with preservative in urinalysis of pregnant women

Abstract

In order to increase the efficiency of the preanalytical process at the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) where urinalysis is performed on pregnant women admitted at primary care family health centres (FHC), our aim was to demonstrate the efficacy of preservative urine tubes in this study. The first morning urine samples of 84 pregnant women were collected into urine tubes with or without preservative. The first analysis was used as a reference. The tubes with preservative containing chlorhexidine were transported at room temperature and analysed on the 2, 6, 24, and 72 h. Tubes with or without preservative and transported according to cold-chain principles were analysed on the 2nd and 6th h. Changes in comparison to the reference tube were analysed. When the test results of the tubes with preservative and kept at room temperature were compared to those of the reference tubes, the only changes that were observed were in the leukocyte morphology. During microscopic examination of the tubes with or without preservative and transported in accordance with cold-chain principles, no differences were found except pH changes during strip tests and changes in the crystal structure. The tubes with preservative containing chlorhexidine, whose performance was tested with the aim of controlling pre-analytical variables, may be used in conditions in which transportation in accordance with cold-chain principles is impossible. Tubes without preservative were observed to be adequate in conditions in which transportation in accordance with cold-chain principles is possible within 6 h.