Fasting
Fasting means that you should not eat any
foods for 12-14 hours. You should not drink any liquids,
other than water, for 12-14 hours. Water will not interfere
and you can drink any amount. However, no other liquid
beverage can be taken. Not all lab tests require you
to fast,. The ones requiring fasting have a bold "F"
after the test on the laboratory order form. Tests you
should be fasting for include:
- any
tests for fat or lipid testing (e.g. cholesterol,
HDL, triglycerides, cardiac lipid panel)
-
homocysteine
-
lipid electrophoresis, fractionation
- glucose
fasting, glucose tolerance tests (see Glucose Tolerance
Test instructions)
- other
tests as requested and instructed by your physician
If you are being tested for a PT (prothrompin time
for coumadin or blood thinning therapy ) you do not
need to be fasting.
Most other tests do not require fasting and you can
come in to be tested at any time regardless of what
you have eaten or had to drink for that day.
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If You Are on Medications:
If you are taking any medications it is important
that, unless your doctor has specifically told you
not to take your medications, you should follow your
routine daily pattern and take the pills you normally
take everyday. There are only a few tests prior to
which you should not take certain medications, but
your physician will specifically cover what those
medications are and how long you should abstain from
taking them before you have the test performed. If
you have any questions at all, you should ask your
physician.
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Instructions for Glucose Tolerance Procedure
1. Diet prior to having the test performed
a. It is recommended for three days prior to having the
test performed that your diet must contain at least 150
grams of carbohydrate per day. If you are on an unusual
diet that has a reduced amount of carbohydrates, you should
add an additional two days to the diet that contains at
least 150 grams of carbohydrates. If you are on a special
diet or have not been eating well for a period of time
you should discuss this with your doctor (inadequate food
intake will invalidate the testing).
b. During the 12 hours prior to the day you are to have
the test performed, you should fast. This means you should
not have any food or drinks (other than water, avoiding
even black coffee) for 12 hours. In addition, smoking
and even mild exercise are not allowed. 2.
What to expect on the day of the procedure
a. On arrival at the laboratory, the phlebotomist will
draw your blood initially and have you collect a urine
sample. This is a baseline level obtained while still
fasting.
b. You will then be given an orange drink that contains
a specific amount of glucose (this is a sugar substance).
c. The phlebotomist will then draw your blood at certain
time intervals after having finished the orange drink
and also have you collect more urine samples.
d. Depending on the doctorıs order (the tolerance test
may be a 2-hour, 3-hour, or longer process) you will need
to be in the lab or close by and should not be actively
moving about. We recommend you bring reading materials,
or some other quiet activity (e.g. knitting) for your
length of stay during the testing.
There are other forms of testing similar to the traditional
Glucose Tolerance Procedure that your doctor may have
ordered. If you have any questions, please discuss it
with your physician or call the hospital laboratory.
1. A one-hour screening test: you follow the above
procedures prior to testing. On the day of testing,
you are given the orange drink and then drawn for
a glucose level one hour after finishing the drink.
2. A two-hour postprandial: you follow the above procedures
prior to the day of testing. On the day of testing
you have a breakfast that contains an adequate amount
of carbohydrates and after 2 hours you are drawn for
a glucose test.
3. A fasting blood sugar (glucose) test - drawn after
fasting for 12 hours.
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Patient
Instructions on Semen Analysis for Fertility Studies
Scheduling:
Semen analysis is performed Monday through Friday between
8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. No appointments are necessary.
You must stop at the registration desk on the first
floor to check in. Please bring your insurance information
and the lab order slip with you.
Collecting the specimen:
If you live within an hour's drive of the hospital,
you may collect your specimen at home. If you live further
away, you will need to collect at the hospital. Your
partner may accompany you. Consider going to a friend's
house or hotel room if you think you will have difficulty
collecting at the hospital.
The semen specimen should be collected in a sterile
container (such as one designated for a urine sample),
which you may obtain from the physician's office or
laboratory. Specimens collected in a condom will not
be accepted. Prior to the test, abstain from sexual
activity for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours but no more
than 7-8 days. Abstinence makes collection easier and
may have a positive affect on semen quality. Collect
by masturbation only; no intercourse or oral sex. Fluids
other than semen may affect the test results. The only
acceptable lubricant is vegetable oil, because it does
not contain perfumes or additives. We prefer that you
not use one at all if possible. Collect close to the
time that you plan to leave for the hospital. When transporting
the specimen, place the container in a brown paper bag
to protect it from light and take care to protect it
from temperature extremes. In the cold months, carry
the specimen inside your coat to keep it at body temperature.
Never put it in the refrigerator or on a heater. Write
your name, date of birth, collection date and time on
the label.
Results:
Your physician will receive the results within 5-7 days.
To discuss the results make an appointment with your
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How
to provide a "24-hour" urine specimen
Your physician has ordered test(s) that require a 24-hour
urine collection. The accuracy of the test(s) is dependent
upon how well you are able to collect the specimen.
Following these instructions will help ensure the accuracy
of the tests.
1.
Avoid alcoholic beverages, vitamins and other medications
(if possible - check with your doctor before discontinuing
any medications) for at least 24 hours before you
start collecting the specimen and during the collection
period.
2. The specimen container may have a preservative
in it. Do not dispose of the preservative and be sure
to keep the container out of reach of children.
3. Do not exceed your normal intake of liquids during
the day before and the day of collection unless your
physician gives you specific directions to do otherwise.
4. The 24-hour collection period begins when you get
up in the morning and empty your bladder. DO NOT COLLECT
THIS URINE - THIS FIRST VOIDING OF THE DAY IS DISCARDED.
It is important to record the time and date of this
voiding on the specimen container label.
5. For the next 24 hours ALL the urine samples that
you void must be collected - day and night - until
the final collection when you empty your bladder the
next morning approximately 24 hours from the time
marked on your specimen container. Include this last
sample in the collection jug along with all the other
samples.
6. Keep the specimen container in a cool place; refrigerate
if possible.
7. Return the specimen to the lab as soon as possible
after the last collection.
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SPUTUM COLLECTION
A sputum sample is material that is coughed up from
the lungs. It is not "saliva" which are
liquid secretions found in the mouth, or nasal secretions
these samples are not acceptable to culture.
A sputum is best collected in the morning upon getting
up from a reclining position or when a deep cough
from the lungs can be produced. The sputum raised
should be expelled into a sterile specimen cup that
has been obtained from the doctor¹s office or
lab. It should be brought to the lab within 1 hour.
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STOOL
SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Many parasites are intermittently passed
in the stool. The best way to detect them is to examine
specimens collected at least 1 day apart. Unless otherwise
instructed by your physician, collect stool specimens
every other day for a total of 2 to 3 specimens.
a. Stool samples should be obtained before taking any
medications, antacids, laxatives, barium or bismuth (including
Pepto-bismal).
b. Collect the stool in a wide mouth container, or on
a plastic sheet placed over the toilet seat opening. DO
NOT pass the specimen into the toilet or directly into
collection vial. DO NOT mix urine or water with the sample.
c. Open the vial(s) carefully, do not spill any of the
fluid in the vial. Using the collection spoon attached
to the vial cap, add enough stool until the liquid reaches
the ARROW on the label and mix stool in fluid well. DO
NOT MIX THE CAPS. Liquid, bloody, mucous, unformed stool
specimens are good to test. Take portions from different
parts of the stool if it is a formed specimen.
d. Label the vials with name, date and time of collection.
e. Store at room temperature until delivered to lab. When
obtaining multiple specimens, if culture is ordered -
collect the vial with the green cap last.
Specimen containers may be obtained from the doctors'
offices, or the laboratory. It is best when collecting
samples for parasite testing or culture, that the stool
be placed into the preservative immediately after collection.
The Specimen vial with the purple cap - is to test for
parasites, and Giardia antigen testing.
The Specimen vial with the green cap - is for culture.
If the physician has ordered a stool for C. difficile
testing you need to collect a fresh sample as outlined
above and place the sample in a specimen cup (with no
preservative). This should be delivered to the lab within
a few hours (or if there is to be a delay, it should
be refrigerated). Back to
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URINE COLLECTION
This specimen may be collected in the physician's
office, at the hospital, or at home. If it is collected
at home, a clean catch kit should first be obtained
from the doctor's office or hospital. A first voided
morning urine (first urination after getting out of
bed in the morning) should be obtained for best results.
It is important to clean the urethral area and collect
a midstream specimen (allow the first small amount
of urine voided to go into the toilet, then collect
the rest in the container). The specimen should then
be delivered to the hospital within 1-2 hours. If
there is a delay, it should be refrigerated (do not
allow to freeze) for not more that 8 hours.
If the specimen is collected at the office or hospital
you will be instructed on how to collect the specimen
then.
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PINWORM
ANALYSIS
The laboratory has a convenient "SWUBE"
paddle to help you in the collection of the sample.
This can be obtained at the doctor's office or the Laboratory.
a. Collection should be done a few hours after the patient
has gone to sleep or immediately upon rising. Collect
before washing or having a bowel (stool) movement.
b. Remove the tube from the wrapper and pull on the plastic
cap to remove the paddle from the tube (leave the paddle
attached to the cap)
c. The paddle has a sticky side and a smooth side. Separate
the buttocks and press the sticky side against several
areas of the rectal area.
d. Replace the paddle in the tube, snapping the cap on
securely.
e. It is important to wash your hands at this point. Be
careful not to contaminate the outside of the tube.
f. Label the tube with name, date and time and place the
tube in a plastic bag. Deliver promptly to the lab. If
there is a delay, refrigerate the tube. Back to
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FECAL
FAT TEST DIET
The fecal fat test provides a means of measuring
fecal fat for the diagnosis of steatorrhea. It requires
a special diet of 100-150 grams of fat per day for 3
days before the test is started. Alcohol should be avoided
for 24 hours before the test. Avoid the use of all laxatives.
A recommended test diet prior to doing the test (for
3 days in a row) is the following:
| Food
Group |
Fat
quantity (grams) |
| 2
cups whole milk |
20 |
| 8
oz. lean meat or 5 oz. medium-fat meat |
24-25 |
| 1
egg |
5 |
| 5
servings fruits and vegetables |
trace |
| 6
servings whole-grain breads or enriched breads or
cereal |
trace |
| 10
tsp fat (e.g. margarine, oil, mayonnaise) |
50 |
| Total
fat |
about 100 grams |
Obtain the collection container from the lab. Collection
of stool sample can be over a 24, 48, or 72 hour period
depending on your physician's orders (48 or 72 hours
is recommended). Each bowel movement should be collected
and transferred into the collection container. Collect
the stool in a wide mouth container, or on a plastic
sheet placed over the toilet seat opening. DO NOT
pass the specimen into the toilet or directly into collection
container. DO NOT mix urine or water with the
sample. Note the time of the first collection on the
container so you have a record of when the last collection
should be completed. Refrigerate the container until
all the samples have been collected and deliver to the
laboratory.
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ALL PATIENTS - PLEASE NOTE:
You must stop by Patient Registration / Admitting (on
the main floor of the hospital, the first door to the
left off the front lobby) before going to the Lab on
the basement level.
Thank you for your cooperation. |
