Artificial Urine for Laboratory Testing

Abstract

The fear of contracting contagious microbial agents through body fluids has led to laboratory practices that limit exposure to blood, exudates, saliva and urine (Sharp & Smailes 1989). Due to the nature of the techniques and materials handled, clinical teaching laboratories require the utmost protection for students. Students are inexperienced at handling hazardous substances and are at risk of being accidentally contaminated with potentially fatal pathogens: Hepatitis A and B, HIV and sexually transmitted bacteria (Ballman 1989). Elimination of the clinical testing of body fluids from an anatomy and physiology curriculum is not recommended since students must be familiar with the psychomotor aspects of clinical testing before taking a job in the health sciences. Thus, body fluid substitutes must be found that will permit students to have the necessary clinical experience while preventing their accidental inoculation with a contagious disease. Artificial blood and urine for use in standardizing clinical equipment is available from some specialty chemical companies, but these are generally too costly for the limited budgets of many high schools, undergraduate colleges and patient education programs. Some biological supply companies market bottles of crude artificial urine for eliciting normal and positive