Instructions for the patient:
- Consult your doctor about the medications you must take and discontinue all others.
- Obtain a clean, dry, rigid plastic container with a capacity of 2 liters (minimum 1.5 liters). Use rigid plastic bottles or containers that have not previously contained detergents, bleach, or soft drinks, and wash them thoroughly with water.
- It is advisable not to engage in strenuous exercise on the day before the sample is collected.
- It is best to start collecting urine early in the morning (e.g., between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.).
- It is advisable not to collect urine during menstruation. If it is necessary to do so during this period, it is recommended to use a tampon and wash the area thoroughly with water before each urination.
- Collect urine for 24 hours. 24-hour urine collection: 1. On the morning of the test, urinate normally upon waking up and discard that urine. Note the time you did so. 2. From that moment on, collect all urine you eliminate during the day and the following night in the collection container. Keep all collected urine in the refrigerator or in a cool place, away from heat. 3. If the container is not large enough, you can use another container with the same characteristics as the previous one. 4. The next morning, at the same time you discarded the first urine sample, urinate one last time and collect it in the container (if, in addition to this test, your doctor has requested a complete urine test, the first urine sample of the following day must be collected in a separate container). 5. Take the container(s) to the laboratory as soon as possible. Very important: To obtain valid and reliable results, it is necessary to collect all urine over the 24-hour period without losing any portion, even if this requires using several containers and taking them to the laboratory. It is also very important to strictly observe the start and end times, not continuing beyond 24 hours.
