Urine (pee) tests are important for diagnosing GN in adults and children. Your healthcare team makes treatment decisions based on exactly how much protein is leaking into your urine. That’s why it’s important to collect a urine sample properly. There are 2 ways you may be asked to do this—giving a sample only 1 time or giving a urine sample over a whole day. Follow the instructions your healthcare provider gives you. If your child is giving a urine sample, help them follow the instructions from your healthcare provider.
How to do spot urine collection
A spot urine collection is a way to show about how much protein is in your urine. Because urine protein can change with how much you move, it’s best to collect your sample first thing in the morning. Collect your first urine (pee) of the day into the container your healthcare provider gives you and bring your sample to the lab. Or schedule your lab visit first thing in the morning and collect it there.
How to do 24-hour urine collection
A 24-hour urine collection gives a more exact result for how much protein is in your urine. For this test, you need to collect all of your urine over 24 hours. If you miss some, you need to start over.
- Make sure you’re using the containers the lab gave you.
- Get up in the morning, pee into the toilet, and flush (you don’t collect your first urine of the day). This is your start time. Write your start date and time on the container label.
- Collect all your urine for the next 24 hours in the container provided. Close the container lid tightly after each use, and keep the container upright in the fridge between uses and until you bring it to the lab.
- Collect the last urine sample exactly 24 hours after your start time. Try to pee (empty your bladder) into the container even if you don’t feel like you have to.
- Write the finish date and time on the container label.
- Bring your sample and your requisition (the form that goes with it) to the lab as soon as possible. Waiting too long could affect your test result.
