Instructions for collecting a 24-hour urine calcium sample. Please follow carefully for accurate results.
Instructions For Collecting A 24-Hour Urine Specimen
This specimen can be collected up to one week before submission to the laboratory.
Be sure to continue all your calcium supplements, vitamins, and dietary calcium to ensure that this collection properly reflects your calcium intake (unless your physician has given you specific instructions to do otherwise).
On the morning of the collection day, rise at your usual time and discard the first urine (this urine is from the night before). Start the collection from this point on.
Collect all the urine you make throughout the day and night. End the collection with the first morning urine of the following day when you wake up.
Store the urine in a clean plastic bottle of at least 2 liters or a half-gallon in volume. The mineral water bottle is satisfactory. Do not use an empty milk container.
Most labs prefer that you use their provided specimen bottle for collection. Therefore, you may want to visit a Quest Diagnostics lab center to pick one up (call 1-800-631-1390 to locate a nearby center). For Labcorp, call 1-888-522-2677. If you drink 8 or more cups of fluid per day, request two bottles.
Please label the container with your name and the doctor’s name. When complete, refrigerate the specimen until you bring it into the lab, particularly if more than one day will elapse. The specimen will keep for approximately one week.
