Impact of intervention on the frequency with which leaky urine specimens are received in the laboratory

Prior to intervention, 4.5% of urine specimens received for culturing in the University of Massachusetts Medical Center clinical microbiology laboratory were noted to have leaked during transport. After an extensive educational program was conducted aimed at alerting physician, nursing, and clerical personnel about the problem, a policy was adopted in which physicians were notified by telephone when the laboratory received leaky specimens. The specimens, however, were processed. Leakage rates dropped to 1.7%. A second round of intervention in which leaky urine specimens were not processed was then implemented. No additional decrease in the rate of receipt of leaky urine specimen was noted (that is, 1.9%). One year later, having adopted a policy of not processing leaky urine specimens, the rate of leaky specimens remained at 1.9%. The clinical microbiology laboratory can effectively intervene regarding problems of specimens that have leaked during transport to the laboratory.