Preparation and Evaluation of Artificial Urine for Teaching of Medical Technology Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prepare and evaluate artificial urine for medical technology student teaching. Moreover, the quality of patient urine was not coordinated to the teaching objectives.  Therefore, the preparation of the artificial urine for teaching is needed to replace a usage of patient urine from the laboratory in hospital.  The artificial urine was prepared closely related to human urine composition, which can be divided into 3 groups as the pH value and specific gravity adjusted to 6.0; 1.015, 7.0; 1.010, and 8.0; 1.005, respectively. Then the stability of artificial urine was evaluated by using urine strip test once a week for a total of eight weeks. The results showed that the artificial urine from all of 3 groups, the urinary pH and specific gravity was not changed. In addition, the chemicals used for urine preparation had no effect on the urine strip tests including leukocyte, nitrite, protein, glucose, ketone, urobilinogen and bilirubin, as showed negative results throughout 8 weeks. Moreover, four concentrations (0.15, 0.25, and 1.15 milligram/milliliter) of glucose were also added into the artificial urine. The levels of glucose were determined by using urine strip test in triplicates. The positive results in 4 levels (1+ to 4+) were showed in triplicates. For urinary color adjustment test, the different concentrations of yellow food dye were added into the artificial urine as seeing through naked eye in 3 shades in dose-dependent manner including, pale yellow (10 microliter, µl of food dye), yellow (20-90 µl of food dye), and deep yellow (100-150 µl of food dye). The results also showed that the food dye had no interference on the urine strip test. This study provides an easy preparation method of artificial urine with high stability, high adaptability to mimic patient urine, and reducing the limitation of patient urine usage in teaching of medical technology students. This study can be applied to experimental science research for science laboratories and teaching of science students.