From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: Miscellaneous
Date: 16 Feb 2008
Time: 13:26:38 +0100
Remote Name: 86.134.111.185
Gill
I suppose in the strictest sense, these bottles should be classed as clinical wastes. They have been used to contain urine and are thus indistinguishable from the plastic universal bottles that are more commonly used for this purpose. That said, if they were rinsed properly there is probably no real reason that they couldn't be discarded as recyclable glass waste, though this is far from ideal.
Much more important is the issue of the containers that you use for these urine samples. Ask patients to bring in a urine sample in a clean glass jar and they will struggle with all sorts of containers. Some will not have been cleaned, while many will have had only a cursory rinse with water.
Won't that jam jar used by Mrs Smith give a positive dipstick test for glycosuria, and will she then have to be troubled with phlebotomy for blood sugar estimation?
Will you misdiagnose Mr Jones' diabetes because his dip stick did not show evidence of glycosuria, in circumstances where the residues from a jar of some household concoction interferes with the reaction of the test strip?
And don't risk telling that young girl that she isn't pregnant after all - the alcopops that put her at risk in the first place might just interfere with HCG detection and leave you facing as many embarrassing questions as she will when the truth becomes clear!
First posted 21-Jan-2008