Urine Collection
Your doctor may ask you to collect your urine for 24 hours so that he
or she can determine the type of
kidney stone you have. The test can also measure urine
volume,
pH, and other substances that may contribute to
urinary problems.
- The collection period usually starts in the
morning. When you first get up, urinate but do not save this urine. Write down
the time that you urinated to mark the beginning of your 24-hour collection
period.
- For the next 24 hours, collect all your urine. Your doctor
will usually provide you with a large container that holds about
1 gal (4 L) and has a small
amount of preservative in it. Urinate into a smaller, clean container and then
pour the urine into the large container. Avoid touching the inside of the
container with your fingers.
- Keep the large container in the
refrigerator during the collection period.
- Urinate for the final
time at or just before the end of the 24-hour period. Add this urine to the
large container, and write down the time.
- Avoid getting toilet
paper, pubic hair, stool (feces), menstrual blood, or other foreign matter in
the urine sample.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Tushar J. Vachharajani, MD, FASN, FACP - Nephrology |
| Last Revised | April 28, 2011 |