Which item is included in the quality assurance program for a urinalysis laboratory as a preanalytical component?

• A. Setting collection guidelines for 24-hour urines
• B. Setting a maintenance schedule for microscopes
• C. Reporting units to be used for crystals
• D. Requiring acceptable results for control specimens before any patient results are reported out

Answer: (A)

The main concept being tested is what falls under the preanalytical part of a urinalysis quality assurance program, which covers how specimens are collected and handled before testing. Setting collection guidelines for 24-hour urines directly addresses how the sample is obtained, timed, labeled, stored, and transported. Proper guidelines help ensure the specimen is complete and uncontaminated, which is essential because errors at this stage can compromise all downstream results. This kind of standardization belongs to preanalytical QA because it targets the process before analysis occurs.

The other options align with different aspects of QA. Establishing a maintenance schedule for microscopes relates to instrument upkeep and the analytic phase, where the performance of equipment is verified during testing. Reporting units for crystals concerns how results are presented and interpreted, which is more about standardization and reporting than about the collection or handling of specimens. Requiring acceptable results for control specimens before patient results are reported is a quality control step that verifies instrument and assay performance during analysis, not the preanalytic collection process.