Uric acid urine test

This test is done to:

• See if kidney stones were caused by high uric acid levels.
• Find the cause of a high level of uric acid in the blood and help choose the proper treatment.

A uric acid urine test is usually done at home. You must collect all the urine you produce in a 24-hour period.

• You start collecting your urine in the morning. When you first get up, empty your bladder. But do not save this urine. Write down the time that you urinated to mark the beginning of your 24-hour collection period.
• For the next 24 hours, collect all of your urine. Your doctor or lab will usually provide you with a large container that holds about 1 gallon. The container may have a small amount of preservative in it. Urinate into a small, clean container. Then pour the urine into the large container. Don't touch the inside of either container with your fingers.
• Keep the large container in the refrigerator when you aren't using it.
• Empty your bladder for the last time at or just before the end of the 24-hour period. Add this urine to the large container, and record the time.
• Do not get toilet paper, pubic hair, stool (feces), menstrual blood, or other foreign matter in the urine sample.

In general, there's nothing you have to do before this test, unless your doctor tells you to.

For 24-hour urine collection, your doctor or lab will usually give you a large container that holds about 1 gallon.

Many medicines can change the results of this test. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the over-the-counter and prescription medicines you take.

Each lab has a different range for what's normal. Your lab report should show the range that your lab uses for each test. The normal range is just a guide. Your doctor will also look at your results based on your age, health, and other factors. A value that isn't in the normal range may still be normal for you.

Many conditions can change uric acid levels. Your doctor will talk with you about any abnormal results that may be related to your symptoms and past health.