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– Timed overnight Urine collections

Specimen collection instructions to be given to patients

1. Before going to bed, empty your bladder and discard the urine.

Note the time when this is done. This is the “starting time”. Write this time and the date in the space provided on the label of the urine container.

2. Collect all of the urine passed until you get up on the following morning.

After getting up, empty your bladder and add all of the urine passed to the container.

Note the time – this is the “finishing time”. Write this time and the date in the space provided on the label of the urine container.

3. If you pass urine during the night, add this to the container but do not bother to note the time.

4. Remember to collect urine before opening your bowels, or you may forget and lose some of the collection in the toilet.

5. If you make a mistake, throw away all of the urine collected and start again on the following evening.

6. Take the urine collection to your doctor’s surgery as soon as possible so that it can be sent to the laboratory. For this reason, please do not collect the urine overnight on a Friday or Saturday.

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