24-Hour Urine Collection. How To Do It Properly?

How do you properly perform a 24-hour urine collection? 24-hour urine collection instructions need to be followed very carefully in order for the sample to be viable for testing. The procedure involves depositing every single drop of urine passed in a given day, with the exception of the first time you urinate after waking up. Make sure you use an appropriately sized container – typically, a volume of 5 liters or about 1.5 gallons should be enough. The last time you collect your urine is the day after beginning collection when you wake up in the morning. Afterward, the sample has to be promptly delivered to the lab or clinic for analysis. For more in-depth 24-hour urine collection instructions, read the rest of our article below.

What Is a 24-Hour Urine Collection Needed For?

Whenever a standard urinalysis fails to deliver conclusive results, more tests may be needed to form a diagnosis properly. In such cases, a 24-hour collection of urine can check your kidney function more comprehensively by looking at what’s in your urine.

In essence, your healthcare provider may decide you should submit such an extensive urine sample in the following scenarios:

• Inconclusive past test results: If your previous urine sample test results were not unambiguous, a 24-hour collection of urine may be ordered to gain more insight into your condtiion.
• Monitoring chronic conditions: Patients diagnosed with diabetes or a recurring UTI may require closer monitoring for an effective treatment plan.
• Testing hormonal profile: A standard urinalysis isn’t always enough, as it only offers a momentary glance at the hormonal balance. Testing a full day’s worth of urine and understanding how they vary can aid in diagnosing adrenal gland disorders.
• Scanning for metabolic conditions: If a standard urinalysis finds abnormalities in your urine, such as unusual creatinine levels or proteinuria, doctors may order further testing, including a 24-hour urine collection.

24-Hour Collection of Urine – Instructions for Proper Execution

Needless to say, collecting your urine over such a prolonged period is a mild inconvenience. Therefore, it’s best to be adequately prepared so that you won't have to repeat the process from scratch in the event of something going wrong.

To properly submit your urine, 24-hour collection instructions look as follows:

Use an Appropriate Container

On average, we produce around 800 to 2,000 milliliters of urine every single day. However, in the event that you produce more, it is recommended to use a container that can hold at least 5,000 milliliters of liquid.

Do not simply use a big empty jug that contained water or juice. Instead, head to a pharmacy and ask for a designated 24-hour urine collection container. These containers were designed specifically for this purpose and come with a proper seal and label to fill out throughout the day.

Store Your Urine Properly

The collection container has to be stored away from children and out of direct sunlight. Additionally, it should be kept in a relatively cool environment. If the temperature outside is high, you may need to place it in the fridge until finished with the 24-hour urine collection.

When these instructions are not observed, exposure to elements may cause the collected urine to degrade, potentially altering its composition and leading to inaccurate test results.

Remember to Collect All Urine After Waking Up

Your doctor may give you a specific time at which you’re supposed to begin collection. Generally speaking, however, most 24-hour urine collection instructions involve flushing the first batch of urine passed after waking up. When you do so, note down the current time on the container’s label. Afterward, proceed to collect all urine as instructed, regardless of the volume.

This means you need to deposit urine in the container also during bowel movements. Try to avoid letting fecal matter make its way into the container, otherwise the sample will have to be discarded. To that end, you may use a smaller, disposable container and transfer the urine content to the main one.

Final Collection

To conclude the 24-hour urine collection, add the urine collected the next morning after you wake up. For the sake of consistency, this should happen within 5 to 10 minutes of the time when you discarded the morning urine the previous day. Remember to note down the exact time of day in this case as well.

Delivery

After making sure the collection container is properly sealed and labeled, deliver it to the lab or clinic as instructed by your healthcare provider. The sample may be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the faster it makes its way to its destination, the better.

The Takeaway

With these 24-hour urine collection instructions, you ensure your sample is collected and handled correctly for the most accurate results. Your healthcare provider will be able to answer any of your questions that we didn’t cover here.

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