Preanalítica de orina de 24 horas: qué hacemos y qué deberíamos hacer

Abstract

IntroductionGiven the need to standardise procedures for the collection, transportation, handling, and analysis of 24-hour urine specimens, international guidelines have been developed with a series of recommendations that should be adapted to each laboratory depending on its circumstances. ObjectiveTo determine the level of compliance to these recommendations in Spanish laboratories. Material and methodsA survey was carried out, through the website of the Spanish Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, on the different pre-analytical procedures in the management of 24hour urine specimens. ResultsA total of 50 laboratories responded, two of which were not Spanish. Although most laboratories provide information about the collection of the specimen, there is variability in how this is done. Differences were observed in areas such as, patient access to containers for collecting urine without preservative, how to deliver the specimen, recording the associated information, and rejection criteria of a specimen not collected correctly. ConclusionsThere is variability in compliance with international recommendations. A possible bias of the survey is that the participants were those who are more motivated by this issue, and therefore more faithful compliance with these standards, thus the variability detected could be even higher. Finally, the main recommendations for the standardisation of the entire procedure is reviewed in order to obtain a specimen quality to ensure good results.