24 Hour Urine Collections

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Before you start

You will be provided with one special bottle for each 24 hour urine sample that the doctor has asked for. Do not store urine in any other containers, or use a mixture of bottles with and without acid for one 24h period, as it will not be suitable for testing.

• Some tests require an acid or thymol preservative.
• Do not empty this out of the bottle.
• Be careful with the acid; if you spill any, wash immediately with plenty of water.

Each bottle holds 2.5 litres or 5 litres. If you expect to produce more urine than that in the 24 hours of your collection, please ask for a second container.

To collect the sample

Choose a time of the day you wish to start the collection: when you get up in the morning will probably be most convenient.

Find a clean container that you can use to transfer the urine into the bottle, such as a jug with a spout.

1. Empty your bladder completely discarding the urine into the toilet, not into the bottle. Write the exact time on the bottle label in the box ‘Start time’, and fill in the date.
2. After that, collect all the urine you pass during the next 24 hours and put it in the bottle.
3. The next day, at exactly the same time as the collection started, and whether you feel you need to or not, empty your bladder and put all of this urine in the bottle. Write this time in the box ‘Finish time’. The collection is now complete.
4. Fill in the rest of the bottle label, most importantly your full name (no abbreviations), date of birth and / or hospital or NHS number.

If the doctor has asked you to collect more than one 24 hour sample, use separate bottles. Make sure that the times and dates are clear.

After you have finished

Check that the lid is firmly screwed on to the bottle. Keep the sample in a cool place and bring it with the request form to the laboratory as soon as possible.

Samples can be taken to your GP if that is what they have asked you to do, or you can bring them to the pathology laboratory at the hospital which gave you the bottle as listed below. For RSCH and PRH you can return your sample to either site.

More information on how to get to our hospitals is available.

If you would like to know more about laboratory tests please visit LabTestsOnLine, a free resource created and updated by laboratory professionals for patients.