24 hour urine collection

24 hour Urine Collection : Instructions for patients 

Your doctor has requested this special test for you. It is important that you follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may lead to a wrong test result or the whole procedure may have to be repeated. 

You have been supplied with a special container to collect your urine into. This may contain a chemical preservative – be very careful when opening the container and do not pour the chemical away. 

Do not let the chemical come into contact with your skin. It may cause burning or irritation. If you do come into contact with the fluid, wash immediately with large volumes of water. Always keep the bottle out of reach of children. 

Collecting the sample 

Choose a day that is convenient for you to collect all your urine collection. Sundays are usually best so you can bring the sample to the laboratory on Monday morning. Do not start your collection on a Friday or Saturday as the urine will not keep until Monday when the laboratory is next open. 

You can choose whatever time to start the urine collection, but remember – you must finish at exactly the same time 24 hours later and you will need to have the urine container with you at all times. 

For example, you can start at 7am on day one and finish at 7am on day two:  At 7am on the first day, empty your bladder in the toilet as normal – DO NOT collect this sample. This is the START time – write this time on the label on the container. 

• From that point on, you must collect every specimen of urine you pass and put it into the container provided.
• At 7am on the second day, empty your bladder and SAVE that specimen in the container. This is the FINISH time – write this time on the label on the container. 
• Ensure that the container is labelled with your name, your date of birth and the date of sample collection.
• Return your urine sample as soon as possible 

DO NOT urinate directly into the container – use a clean jug to catch the urine and pour it carefully into the container. 

NOTE: If you lose a part of the specimen for any reason, you will invalidate the test and a repeat collection will be necessary. Please bring the original container back and collect another. If you do not inform us about such a loss, the test may produce inaccurate results; it is in your interest to obtain an accurate 24-hour collection. 

Special precautions for 24hr urine collections for metanephrines or 5-HIAA 

These tests look for particular substances in the urine, however some foods contain chemicals that may be excreted in the urine and can interfere with the test. 

If you are having one of these tests, it is important to follow these instructions: