General Fasting Before the Test:
1. Have a light dinner the night before the test.
2. Avoid foods, drinks, chocolates and chewing gums 12 to 14 hours before the test.
3. Avoid smoking.
4. Drinking water before the test is allowed .
5. Tooth brushing before the test is allowed.
6. Consult your physician for special instructions about taking or not taking your routine medications before the test.
Fasting for Different Tests:
1. Fasting blood sugar test: 2 hours after the last meal, glucose decreases to almost fasting blood glucose level. However, an 8-hour fast is preferred.
2. Blood lipid test (except total cholesterol): a 14-hour fast is required.
3. Urea test: Avoid eating meat 2 to 3 days before the test, but a 4-hour fast is enough.
4. Uric acid test: at least a 4-hour fast is required.
5. Serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron and ferritin: At least a 4-hour fast is required.
6. Other tests: Fasting is not usually required, however, due to the effects of dietary fat on the patient’s serum and test results, it is better to avoid greasy foods or observe general fasting.
How to Test Blood Glucose 2 Hours After Meal:
1. Observe general fasting conditions.
2. After the sampling for fasting blood sugar, have a usual breakfast and come back for another sample exactly 2 hours after breakfast.
3. Avoid having any food and drink between the two samplings.
4. Smoking is strictly prohibited.
5. Drinking water before the test is allowed .
6. Consult your physician for special instructions about taking or not taking your routine medications before the test.
Correct Way to Collect Urine Specimen for Direct Examination and Culture:
1. The first morning urine is the best sample.
2. For women, the external genital should be washed thoroughly with soap and water before sampling. For men it is not necessary.
3. The first part of the sample is not appropriate for the test and should be discarded.
4. 10-15 cc mid-stream urine sample should be poured into the container.
5. The container should be capped immediately.
6. Inside the container delivered to the patient is sterile. Do not touch inside the container or the lower surface of the lid. Avoid washing inside the container.
Correct Way to Collect Sperm Specimen:
1. Avoid intercourse at least three days and at most five days before sampling.
2. Empty your bladder before sperm sample collection.
3. Collect semen in a sterile container and put the lid on the container immediately.
4. Deliver the sample to the laboratory in the shortest possible time (preferably 15 to 20 minutes).
5. Sample should be kept at 37 °C until delivery to the laboratory and the best way is to keep it near the body.
Correct Way to Collect Stool Sample:
1. The sample should be poured directly into the container which the laboratory has given to the patients.
2. For infant, the sample can be transferred to the container by an abselang. If the sample is loose, it should be collected from the plastic part; the sample on the cotton part of the diaper is not suitable.
3. The sample should not be mixed with water or urine.
4. If an unusual object or animal is observed, it should be thrown in the container.
Correct Way to Collect Stool Sample for Detecting Occult Blood in The stool:
1. Avoid eating white meat, red meat, fish, turnip and radish 2-3 days before the test.
2. Stop taking iron, indomethacin, aspirin, ibuprofen, corticosteroids and vitamin C 48 hours before the test.
3. If your gum bleeds while brushing or flossing teeth, avoid brushing or flossing 48 hours before the test.
4. The sample should be poured directly in the specific container which the laboratory has provided.
5. For infant, the sample can be transferred to the container by an abselang. If the sample is loose, it should be collected from the plastic part; the sample on the cotton part of the diaper is not suitable.
6. The sample should not be mixed with water or urine.
How to Collect a 24-hour Urine Sample Correctly:
1. In the morning, after waking up (for example, 8 am), empty your bladder completely and discard the sample (Note that this sample should not be poured in the special container).
2. During the day, collect all the urine in the specific container.
3. During the day, keep the lid of the container closed.
4. The preservative in the container is highly corrosive and dangerous. Avoid touching it.
5. The next morning, at the same time you began collecting (for example, 8 am), the first urine sample should be poured in the container and its lid should be put back and sent to the laboratory as soon as possible (only the first urine sample should be collected in the next day).