24 hour urine collection--how?? (slightly gross and really lame logistical questions)

[Julie in CA]

I'm supposed to collect *all* of dd's urine for 24 hours. I guess I'm just clueless, because I still don't completely understand what I'm supposed to do. I need more detail. They gave me the toilet insert and told me to have her use it, then pour the urine into the collection container and keep it in the fridge. I'm not sure though, what if she has to go #2? Does she still go into the toilet insert and then I, um, strain it out? :confused: And what about toilet paper? Does she go, wipe, and then reach around the toilet insert thing to try and get the tp into the toilet instead of into the insert with the pee? :confused: And while I'm asking questions, am I just lame? Making this harder than it is? I was in the gifted and honors program in school! Never less than an "A" in a college class! Why can't I figure this out?? :confused: :D

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

She should not have a BM in the urine nor throw tissues into it. She can throw tissues into trash or move the insert after she is done to flush tissues. Ask her is she can urinate first if she needs to have a BM, then move insert so that she can finish. If you do not like the refrigerator idea, then ask the lab if you can keep the urine collection container on ice in a cooler which is what we used to do when I was working:).

[AFwife Claire]

Well, I had to do 2 24-hour urine collections during one of my pregnancies. Actually, I have managed to put the whole ordeal out of mind, until your questions brought it all back again, LOL. I can tell you that I wiped and threw it behind the insert, not into it. For #2, hmmm . . . I know I didn't strain anything. I must have peed, poured it into the container, then gone the rest (and not worried about any tiny bit of pee left). To be honest, I have a quirky intestinal system, and something like the 24-hour collection probably shut me down for a day or so, and I just never went #2! Maybe you could suggest that to your dd? LOL! I remember what an absolute HASSLE those collections were! So sorry you both are having to deal with it, and I hope it goes well the first time so you don't have to redo it, like I did (some lab error--grrrr!)

[dansamy]

Also, allow her to void. Discard the first one. Mark the time. Collect every void thereafter. At the 24hr mark, have her void and collect that one to add to your container. If pee in the fridge skeeves you out, put an ice chest in the bathroom. The toilet insert is usually a "hat" that only fits half the toilet. It goes in front. Paper gets dropped into the potty in the uncovered back half of the bowl.

[Julie in CA]

Also, allow her to void. Discard the first one. Mark the time. Collect every void thereafter. At the 24hr mark, have her void and collect that one to add to your container.

This is about the extent of the directions they gave me, so I do understand this part. :001_smile: I'm also okay with keeping the container in the fridge (we have one in the garage, but it's *far* from the bathroom). They just didn't mention what to do in case of bowel movement though they stressed catching *every drop* of urine. DD will cooperate, but isn't thrilled, and she's old enough that I can't really sit there and supervise this as closely as I could've when she was younger. Thanks for the help!

[Alyce]

I agree with PP. The insert they gave you is for the front of the toilet. If you need to, slide her further back on the toilet when it's time. She should be able to have a BM without it going into the collector if you have it positioned properly. Do a practice run first and then start the clock after that. When I did one or my patients had to do one, I found that very little was collected during the day. Most of it is collected in the morning, so be surprised when you haven't collected a lot during the day. She should not put the toilet paper into the container. This will cause the toilet paper to absorb much of the urine which will skew the test results and leave chemicals in the urine that might affect the test. It's perfectly okay to keep the urine in a cooler until it's time to turn it in. If you miss some don't freak out. There is some margin or error built into the test, just try to get as much as you can. If you have trouble call the Dr, it may be that he'll just have you restart the test or he may find another way to get the results he needs.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

ack. I had to do this when I was pregnant. I forgot about that nightmare until this....:tongue_smilie:

 

They wanted me to collect it. I did. For 19 hours. And then I spilled it.... !!! So I had to start all over again. (Not to mention cleaning up icky old urine. lol)

 

Then I had to do it AGAIN a week later. -sigh-

 

Good luck! Hold on to that bottle tightly. :lol:

[Lovin Learnin]

This is much easier with a boy. DS just finished a 24 hour collection this morning. :) Good luck