What is a random urine specimen collected for?

A random urine specimen is primarily collected to perform a urinalysis without the need for special procedures or timing. This means that the specimen can be collected at any time of day, without requiring the patient to adhere to specific protocols such as fasting or timing their collection according to their activities or a particular schedule.

Random urine samples are valuable because they provide a snapshot of the patient’s urinary constituents at any given moment, allowing healthcare providers to assess a variety of conditions or functions related to kidney health, hydration status, and other metabolic processes easily and quickly.

Additionally, while a random urine specimen may be used for drug screenings, it is not exclusively designed for that purpose alone. It is versatile and can be utilized for multiple analyses, hence why it matches the description of a urinalysis without special measures.