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Protein, Urine

Urine Protein

Test Codes

24 Hour Urine: EPIC: LAB5453, Beaker: PRO24, Random Urine: EPIC: LAB5452, Beaker: PROUR

Department

Chemistry

Instructions

Note: 24-hour and random urine specimens MUST be collected separately. See below for collection criteria.

• Please refer to the Specimen Collection Manual for instructions on 24-Hour or Random Urine Collection:
  • Urine 24-Hour Collection - Inpatient
  • Urine 24-Hour Collection - Outpatient
  • Urine 24-Hour Collection - Outreach
  • Random Urine Collection

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: 24-hour urine or timed urine specimen with a 24-hour urine container with no preservatives.
Also acceptable: Random urine specimen in a screw-capped container (preferred) or another sterile collection cup. Preservatives are not acceptable for random urine specimens. (Minimum: 20 mL)

• Refer to the table of Urine Preservative Options when multiple tests are requested.
• Keep 24-hour urine specimen iced or refrigerated during collection.
• Include start and end dates and times for the collection period on the specimen container.

Urine Preservative Options
No Preservative	6N Hydrochloric Acid	Boric Acid (10g)	Sodium Carbonate	50% Acetic Acid
PREFERRED	Unacceptable	Acceptable	Unacceptable	Unacceptable

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Maintain specimens refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F) prior to transport.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: Entire 24-hour urine collection, or random urine, refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F).

Rejection Criteria

Specimens not collected and processed as indicated. 

In-Lab Processing

Measure total volume of 24-hour urine specimen. Record total volume and collection start and end dates and times in the LIS system. Aliquot a minimum of 10 mL from the well-mixed 24-hour urine collection.

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 4 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): For longer storage.

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days (Royal Oak and Troy store an aliquot for 30 days.)

Laboratory

Canton Chemistry Laboratory
Dearborn Chemistry Laboratory
Farmington Hills Chemistry Laboratory 
Grosse Pointe Chemistry Laboratory 
Royal Oak Automated Chemistry Laboratory 
Troy Chemistry Laboratory
Taylor Chemistry Laboratory
Trenton Chemistry Laboratory
Wayne Chemistry Laboratory 

Performed

Sunday – Saturday.
Results available within 24 hours.

Reference Range

Urine Protein: Less than 150 mg/24 hours.
Normal ranges for random urines or for collections other than 24 hours have not been established.

Test Methodology

Spectrophotometry.

Interpretation

• A 24-hour sample is the preferred sample to assess the degree of proteinuria. If this is difficult to obtain a Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio on a random sample is acceptable (normal ratio is less than 0.2). A random urine protein may be difficult to interpret if it is normal (less than 10 mg/dL) to slightly increased because protein excretion varies throughout the day. Slight increases in urinary protein may occur with fever, stress, or following vigorous exercise. Orthostatic proteinuria (100-180 mg in a 12-hour overnight urine collection and up to 1 gram in the subsequent 12 hours while ambulatory) may occur. The presence of protein greater than 200 mg in the overnight collection indicates need for further investigation.
• Proteinuria may be due to prerenal (congestive heart failure, surgery, hyperthyroidism, myeloma), renal or post-renal (tumors of bladder, renal pelvis, cystitis) causes. Urinary proteinuria of 150-500 mg per 24 hours is usually defined as minimal, 500-3,500 mg per 24 hours as moderate and greater than 3,500 mg per 24 hours as massive.
• Falsely elevated results may be seen in urine samples contaminated with blood.

Clinical Utility

Urinary protein measurements aid in the diagnosis and management of primary diseases involving the kidney and diseases which may secondarily involve the kidney, such as collagen-vascular disease, multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, metal poisoning, diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, or eclampsia.

CPT Codes

84156

Contacts

Last Updated

10/30/2023