What should I do if a urine test has been prescribed for me?

Answer

Standard test or bacteriological culture of urine:

  1. Ask our laboratory or a pharmacy for a sterile bottle (which can hold approximately 40 ml).
  2. Disinfect the urinary tract’s external opening (suitable disinfecting pads are available from our laboratory.)
  3. Preferably collect a morning mid-flow sample. This may be obtained on rising or in the laboratory.
  4. The amount of time that elapses between producing the urine sample and culturing should be minimised.

24-hour urine testing:

  1. The purpose of this test is to collect all the urine produced by the kidneys during a 24-hour period.
  2. Obtain the bottle(s) (approximately 2 l in size) from our laboratory. Depending on the test to be performed, certain substances will have been added to the bottom of these containers. These should be left to settle and not shaken.
  3. At a specified time (for example 8 a.m.) empty your bladder and discard this first urine in the toilet.
  4. From now on you must write the time on each currently empty bottle. The 24-hour period starts now!
  5. Collect all urine produced during the day and night in this/these bottle(s).
  6. The next morning, at the time recorded the previous day (8 a.m. in this example) empty your bladder one last time and collect the final urine.
  7. Bring the container(s) to the laboratory as quickly as possible.

Note: To help you follow the procedure a cartoon containing these explanations will be supplied together with the bottle.

Please do not hesitate to contact a laboratory biologist if you have any further questions.
Tél. : (+352) 488 288-1