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[Scheduled urine collection using disposable diapers with an acoustic signal emitter]
1Forschungsinstitut für Kinderernährung Dortmund.
Insights
Collecting infant urine using disposable diapers is a viable alternative to urine bags, minimizing discomfort. This method allows for accurate urine analysis, even with stool contamination, making it suitable for research and field studies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
Context:
- Urine collection in infants often relies on urine bags, which can be uncomfortable and difficult to apply correctly.
- Existing methods pose challenges for parents and healthcare providers, leading to common issues like bag displacement.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of using disposable diapers for infant urine collection and subsequent analysis.
- To determine the impact of diaper-based urine collection and storage on the stability of various urinary constituents.
Summary:
- Infant urine can be collected using disposable diapers, with urine output measured by diaper weight and urination detected by a moisture sensor.
- Urine extraction via hydraulic press from diapers is effective; stool contamination can be managed with liners.
- Analysis shows minimal significant changes in urinary constituents (except pH) after 1-10 hours of contact time or after freezing, making the method suitable for research.
Impact:
- This diaper-based method offers a simpler, less invasive alternative for infant urine collection, particularly beneficial for field studies and research.
- The findings support the use of disposable diapers for infant urine collection in clinical practice and research, with minor considerations for specific analytes in research settings.
Abstract:
Usually, urine is collected from infants by means of a urine bag. This procedure has some disadvantages, as it can cause discomfort and may even be painful for the child if repeated application of the bags is necessary. Correct placement is difficult for parents or other untrained people and bag displacement is common especially in older mobile children. Urine collection with disposable diapers followed by urine extraction for analysis might be a simple alternative procedure especially for field studies. Urine output is measured by weighing the diapers. A moisture sensor with a sound signal indicates the moment of urination. Stool contaminated diapers must not be excluded from urine collection, if the stool is quickly removed after defecation using diaper liners. Wet diapers are sealed in plastic bags and may be stored at -20 degrees C until extraction. With a hydraulic press urine is extracted from the diapers for measuring concentrations of urinary constituents. After extracting urine after 1 hour and 10 hours contact time only the pH falls significantly. Concentrations of the other constituents tested (creatinine, urea, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride) and total osmolality are not effected. After freezing the wet diapers for storage osmolality and the concentration of creatinine tend to be slightly lower. For clinical practice these effects can be neglected. However, they must be considered using this urine collection method in research.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
