What happens if I forget to add the thymol preservative to the big container before taking out the 18 ml of sample – can I add it later?
If you take out the 18 ml of urine before you have added the thymol preservative, you should dump the 18ml of urine back into the larger container and then add the thymol. The preservative is necessary to ensure your sample is in the best possible condition for testing once it arrives at the laboratory. If you send the sample without the preservative, then the chance of your sample degrading or becoming contaminated increases.
