Temperature and Humidity Monitoring for Clinitek
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Do you all monitor temperature and humidity for UA dipsticks and pregnancy tests performed on the Clinitek? What do you do when they are out of ranges? Being in Southern California, humidity is often below 20%.
Thank you!
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We do monitor humidity for the Clinitek. Being in New Mexico, high desert, we are more often under 18% than at or over it! We have had to put in humidifiers in several sites, which is a negative for infection control. If we are below 20%, then the users have been told to send specimens to the lab, which they are not happy about. However, we can't let them run specimens if the humidity is out of compliance. Many of our clinics are wanting to go back to visual urine dipstick, which I am vehemently against. It would be great if Siemens could approve the device for a lower humidity, but I'm not holding my breath.
I have been trying to find another device that could do what the Clinitek does, but have not been able to find anything. The Roche Urisys has a lower humidity level of 20%, so no help. We looked at an EKF device, Uri-Trak, but they only can hold 10 operators and that doesn't work for us. So far, I am clueless as to a viable solution.
Yes, we do record temperature and humidity for all POCT sites. Here in Delaware we struggle with high humidity during the summer months. When we started to keep records, we discovered that some outpatient sites exceeded 80% RH on weekends
and holidays. They were dialing back the AC when no one was around.
We have struggled as well, our drier areas have low humidity. We have asked Siemens if they can provide guidance and perhaps indicate anti-static mats would be acceptable when humidity is low and still use the device. That was a couple months ago and recently I had an email that said they were still working on it. Perhaps something will become available.
In the operators manual there are two sets of Temperature and Humidity values.
Ambient:
Temp: 18 - 30 c (64 - 86f)
Humidity: 18% - 80%
Optimum:
Temp: 22 - 26c (72 - 79f)
**If temp is less than 22c affects Urobilinogen and Leukocytes by decreasing the results.
**If temp is greater than 22c affects Urobilinogen and Leukocytes by Increasing the results.
Humidity: 35% - 55%
What temp do you monitor? If you use the Ambient what do you do when the results are less than 22 or greater than 26?
We use the ambient values. In NM, we have a problem with low humidity, not so much with temperature within the hospital units and clinics. When the humidity falls below 18%, the operators need to send the specimens to the lab. I don't think we will ever need to worry about being over 80% humidity!
I thought I would try to throw this out again. For the Clinitek there are two sets of temperatures listed in the operators manual. Ambient and Optimum.
I am concerned abut using the ambient temp because it says that at a Temp <22 Urobilinogen and leukocytes are decreased and at Temps >22 Urobilinogen and leukocytes are increased. Which temp do you use? How do you justify the result interference if you use Ambient.
Ambient:
Temp: 18 - 30 c
Humidity: 18% - 80%
Optimum:
Temp: 22 - 26c