A football player is thought to have sustained an injury to his kidneys from being tackled from behind.

(A) The ER nurse caring for the patient reviews the initial orders written by the physician and notes that an order to collect all voided urine and send it to the laboratory for analysis. The nurse understands that this nursing intervention is important for what reason? (B) Hematuria is the most common manifestation of renal trauma and blood losses may be microscopic, so laboratory analysis is essential. (C) Intake and output calculations are essential and the laboratory will calculate the precise urine output produced by this patient. (D) A creatinine clearance study may be ordered at a later time and the laboratory will hold all urine until it is determined if the test will be necessary.Answer Explanation: Hematuria is the most common manifestation of renal trauma; its presence after trauma suggests renal injury. Hematuria may not occur, or it may be detectable only on microscopic examination. All urine should be saved and sent to the laboratory for analysis to detect RBCs and to evaluate the course of bleeding. Measuring intake and output is not a function of the laboratory. The laboratory does not save urine to test creatinine clearance at a later time. The laboratory does not monitor the urine for sodium or potassium concentrations.