Final answer:
A urine specimen collected by free catch at 8 AM and left at room temperature until the afternoon could be expected to have increased pH, decreased specific gravity, increased ammonia concentration, and bacterial overgrowth.
Step-by-step explanation:
A urine specimen collected by free catch at 8 AM and left at room temperature until the afternoon could be expected to have:
- Increased pH
- Decreased specific gravity
- Increased ammonia concentration
- Bacterial overgrowth
Specific gravity is a measure of the quantity of solutes per unit volume of a solution and is traditionally easier to measure than osmolarity. Urine will always have a specific gravity greater than pure water due to the presence of solutes. As urine is left at room temperature, bacterial overgrowth can occur, resulting in increased pH and ammonia concentration.