CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

312
ESSENTIALS OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
In the Lab
including cellulose from undigested vegetable matter, and may also be performed on
fecal matter. It is an important test for determining digestive problems in infants. Originally,
the Clinitest was used for determining glucose levels in the urine of diabetics,
but was abandoned for this purpose due to false positive results from other reducing
substances present in the urine of diabetic patients.
The Clinitest is based on Benedict’s copper reduction reaction. Copper sulfate
reacts with reducing substances, converting cupric sulfate to cuprous oxide. Colors
range from blue through green to orange. Sugars other than glucose may be detected
with this test.
The Clinitest procedure may be performed on the feces of infants to determine the
presence of undigested foods. When malabsorption conditions are present, the stool
will often be liquid in consistency. When collecting a fecal sample from an infant,
use nonabsorbent diapers for the specimen collection. The solid and liquid portions
of the stool MUST be combined. It is possible to aspirate the liquid portion of the
stool from the diaper using a syringe or the sample can be squeezed from the diaper
into a cup. A large cotton swab may also be necessary for collecting the liquid portion
of a stool from a gel absorption diaper. It is critical to avoid mixing urine with the
fecal specimen as urine may contain components that will interfere with the results.
Equipment and Supplies
1. Gloves, disposable paper towels and disinfectant or other cleaning solution
2. Report form for urinalysis results (Procedure Report Form)
3. Fresh urine sample in clean urine container (The sample may have yielded a
negative result when tested by the dipstick method. Note the requirements for
obtaining a fecal specimen listed under the principles for this procedure.)
4. Disposable dropper pipettes such as Pasteur or disposable bulb pipettes for dispensing
drops of water and urine
5. Deionized or distilled water
6. Stoppered dark container of Clinitest tablets (examine for color changes or
deterioration)
7. Flat-bottomed test tubes and test tube holder (enclosed in the kit containing the
test tablets)
8. Color chart from the test kit for use in interpreting results
Procedure
1. Wash hands and don gloves.
2. Assemble necessary equipment and supplies.
3. Place 5 drops of urine into a clean glass test tube that is provided with the kit
(Figure 12-37).
4. Using a clean dropper the same size as that used in Step #3, add 10 drops of
deionized water.
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.