To avoid factors that may affect the results of research, it is necessary to observe the following factors:

 

BLOOD ANALYSIS

Blood for most tests is given in the morning from 7-00 to 10-00 on an empty stomach (at least 8 hours and no more than 12 hours after the last meal, in infants 2-4 hours). You can drink a small amount of water.

Before donating blood for research is necessary:

• 6-12 hours before the test exclude the intake of fatty foods, tea, coffee, and alcohol;
• Children under 5 years old should drink a small amount of boiled water (10-200 ml in small portions) 30 minutes before blood donation;
• It is not recommended to smoke for at least 1 hour before the study;
• Avoid physical activity and stress, changes in the diet one day before the test;
• Blood should not be donated after X-ray, CT, MRI, instrumental examination or physiotherapeutic procedures, or drips (on the same day);
• Before taking blood for laboratory tests, it is necessary to exclude physical activity (running, climbing stairs), and emotional excitement. Therefore, before the procedure, you should rest for 10-15 minutes in the waiting room and calm down.
• For the study of reproductive hormones, blood must be donated on the day of the menstrual cycle recommended by the doctor, and provide these data when placing an order.
• If any infectious disease is suspected, a test for the presence of antibodies is carried out. In this case, it should be remembered that depending on the period of infection and the state of the immune system, the result may be negative. However, a negative result does not completely exclude infection. In doubtful cases, it is recommended to repeat the test in 2-3 weeks.

Additional recommendations for preparation for blood donation:

Glucose, insulin, C-peptide - it is recommended to take in the morning on an empty stomach (8 - 10 hours of night fasting period), if the doctor has not prescribed these tests with a load or with a normal diet.

Uric acid - 1 - 2 days before the test, follow a diet: avoid eating purine-rich foods (liver, kidneys), and limit meat, fish, coffee, and tea in the diet as much as possible.

Total and free PSA

• After mechanical effects on the prostate, it is advisable to wait at least 2 weeks before taking a PSA blood test, and after a prostate biopsy - at least a month.
• It is recommended to refrain from sexual intercourse for 3 - 5 days before the test.
• Avoid heavy physical exertion 2-3 days before the examination.

Coagulogram, prothrombin complex

• Patients taking hormonal drugs should not violate the schedule on the day of the test unless there are special recommendations from the attending physician

 

The glucose tolerance test ("sugar load") is a laboratory method for determining the level of glucose in the blood. A glucose tolerance test is used to establish impaired glucose tolerance and to diagnose diabetes mellitus. Preparation for the test should begin 3 days before the blood test. It is very important to follow the instructions below exactly, as only in this case reliable results will be obtained.

• Within 72 hours before the blood donation, patients should lead a standard lifestyle with a typical diet and physical activity (alcohol consumption should be excluded);
• Avoid physical activity and stress 12 hours before blood donation;
• The test is performed strictly on an empty stomach (at least 12 hours, but not more than 16 hours after the last meal);
• A glucose tolerance test is performed when a person is healthy (even a runny nose is excluded);
• Before the test, it is important to inform the doctor about your health, being sure to mention the existing pregnancy;
• Exclude taking drugs that may affect blood glucose levels;
• 3 days before the test do not take: thiazide diuretics (based on active substances - hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide, clopamide, chlorthalidone), oral contraceptives (birth control pills), glucocorticoids.

The test is carried out for persons over 14 years of age, only by a doctor's referral with a personal stamp of the doctor or the stamp of the medical institution and an indication of the load (if glucose, then in what amount, if another load, then what exactly).

Before the delivery of biomaterial for the study of GTT, the initial determination of glucose level is mandatory. If the fasting glucose level is more than 6.9 mmol / l - it is recommended to postpone the GTT.

Exercise testing is performed only in healthy adults. Loading: within 5 minutes the patient should drink warm water in which glucose is dissolved - 75 g (if necessary, you can add fresh lemon juice). Glucose solution is included in the price of GTT.

- Test for 2 portions: - fasting glucose level; - glucose level 2 hours after exercise;

- Test for 3 portions: - fasting glucose level; - glucose level 1 hour after exercise; - glucose level 2 hours after exercise;

Lipidogram - 3 days before the study to refuse to eat fatty, fried foods.

 

RULES OF PREPARATION FOR URINE COLLECTION

 

• The collection of morning urine is carried out after a thorough toilet of the external genital organs so that no discharge from them gets into the urine. On the first morning urination, a small amount of urine is released into the toilet, and then, without interrupting urination, the rest of the urine is collected in a urine collection container.

Urine collection is mandatory before various endourethral and endovesical examinations and procedures. After cystoscopy, urine analysis can be prescribed no earlier than 5 - 7 days.

• Urine should be collected in a dry, clean container. It is best to collect urine in special disposable plastic cups with lids.
• When urinating, men should completely pull back the skin fold to release the outer opening of the urethra. Women should spread the labia and thoroughly wipe the urethra area with a wet tampon before urinating. It is advisable to put a tampon in the vagina before collecting the material to prevent leukocytes, bacteria, and red blood cells from entering the urine. Do not collect urine during menstruation. Particular attention should be paid to the collection of urine from pregnant women.
• Urine collected for analysis can be stored in a sterile container for no more than 1.5 - 2 hours (always in a cool place). Prolonged standing leads to changes in physical properties, bacterial growth, and the destruction of urine sediment elements. At the same time, the pH of the urine will shift to higher values due to ammonia released into the urine by bacteria. Microorganisms consume glucose, so negative or underestimated results can be obtained with glucosuria. Bile pigments are destroyed in daylight. Refrigeration does not destroy the pigments but may affect the results of the relative density determination.
• ATTENTION: It is not possible to take a GENERAL URINE ANALYSIS and Nechiporenko urine test on the same day.

Additional recommendations for the preparation and collection of urine:

General urine analysis - for a general urine analysis, the entire morning portion is collected, which is collected in the bladder during the night. The entire portion must be collected, mixed thoroughly, and poured into a container (at least 10 ml) for transporting urine. This reduces the natural daily fluctuations of physicochemical parameters and thus provides a clearer connection with the pathogenetic processes occurring in the patient's body.

Three-glass urine sample - for a three-glass sample, a morning urine sample is collected. The urine is collected sequentially in different containers: the beginning of urination is carried out in the first container, the middle - in the second, and the urination is completed in the third container. The second portion should be predominant in volume. All containers are prepared in advance, each must indicate the portion number.

Urine analysis by Nechiporenko - the Nechiporenko method in laboratory diagnostics is the most common method of quantitative determination of form elements in urine. This method is the simplest, most accessible, and most convenient in outpatient practice, and also has several advantages over other known quantitative methods of urine sediment analysis. According to the Nechiporenko method, the number of formative elements (erythrocytes, leukocytes, and cylinders) in 1 ml of urine is determined.

 

 

• o study urine by the Nechiporenko method, only the middle portion (in the middle of urination) of the first-morning urine is collected (15 - 20 ml is enough). It is necessary to follow the basic rules for collecting morning urine.
• Urine collection by catheter is performed only for special indications.

Important! The classical method of taking biomaterial does not allow the Nechiporenko urine test and the GENERAL URINE ANALYSIS on the same day.

Urine analysis by Zimnitsky

• The condition for the correct conduct of the test, which allows for assessment of the state of the concentration capacity of the kidneys, is the exclusion of excessive water intake. It is necessary to warn the patient that the amount of fluid consumed on the day of urine collection shouldn't exceed 1 - 1.5 liters. Otherwise, the patient remains in normal conditions, and eats normal food, but takes into account the amount of fluid consumed per day.
• It is necessary to prepare 8 clean dry containers for urine in advance.
• Collection: at 6 a.m., the patient empties the bladder into the toilet. Then, from 6:01 to 9:00 a.m., all the urine that has been released for 3 hours is collected in the 1st portion, etc.: 2nd portion - from 9 to 12 hours, 3rd - from 12 to 15 hours, 4th - from 15 to 18 hours, 5th - from 18 to 21 hours, 6th - from 21 to 24 hours, 7th - from 24 to 3 hours, 8th - from 3 to 6 hours.
• Each container should indicate the portion and time of collection of biomaterial, name, and year of birth of the patient.
• The volume of urine in each of the 8 portions is measured and recorded; each portion of urine must be mixed and collected in a prepared signed separate sterile container.
• If the patient has no urge to urinate for three hours, the container is left empty (do not wake the patient at night and during sleep). In this case, the empty signed container must be transported to the laboratory.
• Urine containers should be stored in a cool place (ideally in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf at + 4-8 ° C), not frozen.
• All portions are delivered to the laboratory department on the day of urine collection. When making a referral, it is necessary to indicate the amount of fluid consumed per day.

Rules for collecting daily urine (urine is collected per day during a normal drinking regime)

• In the morning after waking up, empty the bladder (this portion of urine is poured into the toilet).
• All further urine is collected within 24 hours in a clean, dry container of 3 liters.
• The last portion of urine should be collected at the same time the next day when the collection was started the day before. For example, if the urine collection was started at 8:00 am, then also at 8:00 am the next day it is necessary to empty the bladder and add the last portion to the total volume.
• During the entire collection time, the urine container should be stored in a cool, dark place (optimally in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf at + 4-8 ° C). Do not freeze!
• After the collection, the urine must be thoroughly mixed, accurately measured, and immediately poured a small amount of about 50 ml into a disposable container. It must be delivered to any department of the laboratory for examination. You do not need to bring the whole urine.
• The name, daily urine volume (diuresis) in milliliters, height and weight of the patient should be indicated on the referral and the container label.

 

 

RULES FOR PREPARATION AND COLLECTION OF FECES

 

Coprogram (fresh stool is collected for the study).

• 3-4 days before the test, stop taking laxatives, castor oil, and petroleum jelly, and stop using rectal suppositories.
• Stool obtained after the enema, as well as after taking barium (during X-ray examination) is unsuitable for the study.
• A container for collecting stool must be purchased at the pharmacy. Indicate the patient's name and date of collection on the stool container.
• Before collecting feces, the patient must first urinate in the toilet. Then, by natural defecation into the toilet or a lining vessel, the stool is collected. The stool is then spooned from the middle of the portion into a clean disposable container with a screw-on lid in an amount not exceeding 1/3 of the container volume (10-15g).
• The container with the material is delivered to the laboratory immediately after defecation or no later than 10-12 hours after defecation, provided that it is stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of + 2 ° ... + 8 ° C.
• Attention: It is unacceptable to send feces for examination in match or cardboard boxes, as this changes the shape and consistency of the feces and distorts the results of the analysis.

Fecal occult blood test

• When preparing for the fecal occult blood test, fish, meat, all types of green vegetables, tomatoes, spring eggs (embryo), and medicines containing iron are excluded from the diet. It should be recommended that the patient does not brush his teeth these days, but only rinse his mouth.
• Feces are collected after self-emptying the intestines in a disposable plastic container with a sealed lid. Avoid adding urine to the feces!
• The container with the material is delivered to the laboratory immediately after defecation or no later than 10-12 hours after defecation, provided that it is stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of + 2 ° ... + 8 ° C.

The study is not recommended:

• Within 2 weeks after instrumental examinations of the gastrointestinal tract or medical procedures (colonoscopy, rectoromanoscopy, intestinal cleansing with enemas, etc.)
• During menstruation, as well as in case of bleeding from hemorrhoids, hematuria, or after excessive straining during defecation

Fecal test for helminth eggs and protozoan cysts (this test allows you to detect eggs, cysts, and helminths themselves or their parts in the feces).

• Biomaterial should be collected from the middle of the last stool portion
• For this analysis, 10-15 g of stool is taken from different parts of the last portion. The stool should not contain foreign impurities, such as urine. The stool is collected using a special "spoon" which is built into the lid of a special container.
• If at the time of collection of biomaterial a live parasite was detected, the patient brings to the laboratory TWO containers: the individual in a washed form in a SEPARATE container; feces for detection of parasite eggs - in another SEPARATE container.
• The container must be tightly screwed and signed (name, date of collection).
• To obtain the most accurate data, it is strongly recommended to deliver the stool for analysis of helminth eggs to the laboratory department within 30-45 minutes after defecation.
• Feces can be stored for 5-8 hours in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed container at a temperature of +4. C + 8 ° C. However, storage can adversely affect the test results.
• For the most reliable results, it is necessary to conduct 2-4 fecal tests for helminth eggs at intervals of several days.

Scraping for enterobiasis

• Before going to bed, on the eve of the morning scraping, conduct a thorough toilet of the external genital organs so that the scraping does not contain fecal residues after defecation.
• Scraping is done in the morning, without getting out of bed, before hygiene procedures and defecation (in women before urination).
• To examine the material, it is necessary to take a transparent adhesive tape (adhesive tape 1.5-2 cm wide), which is glued to the perianal folds with the sticky side, then the same side with the material under study is glued to a clean dry slide, trying to avoid folds and air bubbles. In children, it is allowed to collect a scraping by wiping the perianal folds with a cotton swab pre-soaked in boiled water.
• Glass (cotton swabs in a glass container) must be delivered to the laboratory department within 1 hour to obtain the most reliable results. However, if it is not possible to deliver the material in a short time to the laboratory, you can store the material in a refrigerator at a temperature of +4 ° C / + 8 ° C for 8 hours.

 

OTHER TESTS

               General rules of preparation for ejaculate analysis

Ejaculation is collected by the patient himself by masturbation.

• Completely exclude the intake of medications for 24 hours before the test (in agreement with the doctor).
• Within 72 hours before the test, exclude sexual intercourse, alcohol intake, hot bath, sauna, physiotherapy, and X-ray examination.

General rules of preparation for sputum tests

• Sputum is collected by the patient independently using deep coughing.
• It is recommended to collect sputum in the morning.
• Before sputum collection, it is recommended to brush teeth, and rinse mouth and throat with boiled water.