One of the most important factors in determining the accuracy and reliability of your lab test is you, the patient. After all, it is a sample from your body. Some tests require certain precautions or instructions to ensure test accuracy.
Lipids:
Fast for 12 hours for (triglycerides and LDL).
Note: from 10 to 14 hrs fasting is accepted.
But take your medication as usual and drink water but do not drink any other beverages.
Fasting Blood Sugar or fasting insulin:
fast for 6-8 hours but take your medication as usual and drink water but do not drink any other beverages. It is better done in the morning
Note: from 6 to 10 hrs fasting is accepted.
Postprandial glucose or postprandial insulin:
after fasting for 6-8 hours: Consume a meal and take medication (if any) in 10 minutes. Absolute fasting for 2 hours or smoking from the start of the meal, arrive at the lab 15 minutes ahead of schedule. it is better done in the morning of the same day you do the fasting blood glucose.
Urine for Pregnancy:
first-morning urine (preferable), provided there was no fluid consumption the night before. If the result is Negative, a pregnancy blood test is suggested since it is more sensitive.
PSA:
abstain from sexual intercourse for one day and consult your physician in case of endoscopy or catheterization.
ACTH/ Cortisol:
Sample is withdrawn from 8 am to 10 am or 8 pm to 10 pm according to the physician advice.
Digestive system tumor markers as CA19-9:
Fasting from 6 to 8 hrs as food may affect the GIT mucosa.
Estrogen:
The sample is withdrawn on the 3rd day or from 19th to 22th of menses or as per the physician advice.
Progesterone:
The sample is withdrawn from the 18th to 24th of menses or as physician’s advice
Asthma drugs:
Medication must be taken regularly for 5 days at least, provided there is no vomiting or diarrhoea for 48 hours before the test. The first sample of blood is taken immediately before the morning dose to measure the trough concentration and the second after 4 hours (the period differs according to the metabolism of the drug) from the dose to measure the peak concentration.
pylori breathing test:
fasting from 4 to 6 hrs and no GIT drugs for at least 15 days.
Urine analysis:
better the first-morning sample urinates first drop into the toilet bowl then the remainder in the sterilized jar provided. Better the first morning sample, not to collect sample from urine bag.
24 hrs. Urine collection:
Immediately upon waking up in the morning urinate in the toilet bowl and record the time. Following this and through to the next day, collect each drop of urine at the same time (24 hours). i.e., The next morning's first morning sample is included in your sample collection. Keep urine refrigerated (Plz refer to the reception as some tests needs preservative substances).
Urine sample from infants:
Mother is instructed to wash well by water and soap and then to but the sterile urine collection bag, to follow up the collection of urine, remove this bag carefully and to but it inside the sterilized jar.
Stool analysis:
Samples from diapers, cartoon boxes or unclean cups are not accepted. Please wait for 1 week after ingestion of barium or laxative.
3 consecutive days sputum:
Before eating in the morning, rinse your mouth several times with water and provide the first sputum. Saliva samples are not accepted. Samples must be sent separately to the lab on the same day. Inhalation of steam from hot water in the morning aids in providing samples.
Semen Analysis:
Total abstention from intercourse or masturbation for 4 consecutive days ensuring that the first drop of semen is placed in the specified bottle. No accompaniment inside the toilet is allowed during sampling. If the sample is collected outside the lab, the sample must be kept warm and delivered within 20 minutes. Samples are received from Saturday to Thursday between 9 am and 9 pm and on Friday from 9 am to 7 pm (with a prior appointment).
Occult blood in stool:
48 hours before the test, the patient must refrain from consuming all kinds of meat, turnips, medication for rheumatism, any medication containing Aspirin, Vitamin C, Cortisone or Lead as well as any laxatives.
Iron:
Arrive at the lab in the morning after the end of menstrual cycle and prior to start of treatment with iron or blood transfusion.
Special instructions for collection of urine samples:
Instructions for collection of Random urine samples:
Clean-catch, midstream urine specimen collected after cleansing the external urethral meatus and external genitalia. A midstream urine is one in which the first half of the bladder urine is discarded, and the collection vessel is introduced into the urinary stream to catch the last half. The first half of the stream serves to flush contaminating cells and microbes from the outer urethra prior to collection.
The collected urine should be refrigerated immediately or kept in a cool place to retard growth of bacteria until the test is performed. The first urine voided in the morning is preferred.
Instructions for collection of 24 hours urine samples:
Any 24-hour period may be selected. Patients are provided with a collection container and asked to keep the specimen refrigerated during collection. Instruct the patient to void at the start time of collection to empty bladder. Discard this specimen and record start time. Collect all urine voided after start time for the next 24 hours. At 24 hours, the patient should void and add urine to the specimen container.
Keep the urine cool (refrigerate) during the collection. Return the container to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Ensure that the container is labelled with the name of the patient, time and date of commencement and time and date of completion.
Analytes which need 10 ml HCL 6 N as preservative during the 24 H urine collection:
Special precautions for some analytes in 24- hour urine sample:
Drugs abuse assessment levels:
Urine is placed in a clean, dry container. This should preferably be done in the lab, in a tight room with no source of water to prevent the addict from adding water to the urine. Extreme caution is to be exercised to prevent the patient from switching his sample with another that may have been smuggled into the lab.
