Laboratory Tests & Procedures
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WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING MY LAB TEST?
Procedures will depend on the test being performed.
GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST:
A glucose tolerance test will look at the body's ability to handle sugar. An appointment must be made for this test and it can be scheduled Monday
through Friday.
The night before the test you can not eat or drink anything but water after midnight. In the morning, you may take your normal medication with only a small sip of water,
unless your doctor tells you not to.
Once you arrive, your blood glucose level will be checked with a finger stick. You will then be asked to drink a sugary drink. Once this is completed, the staff will
draw your blood at different times.
The total amount of time you will be required to stay will depend on what your doctor is looking for. It could be as short as 1 hour, or as long as 5 hours. Please bring a
book or several magazines and make arrangements to stay.
24-HOUR URINE COLLECTION:
A 24-hour urine collection is one of the best ways of looking at how well your kidneys are working.
When you come to the lab at the hospital, the laboratory will give you a clean container to collect the urine. Please take this home with you. You will begin your collection
the next morning.
When you wake up, empty your bladder completely into the toilet the first time you urinate. DO NOT SAVE THIS URINE.
After this, every time you go to the bathroom, save ALL your urine in the container the lab gave you for the next 24 hours. Example: If you begin the test at 6 a.m. on one
day, then you will save all urine until 6 a.m. the following day.
YOU WILL NEED TO KEEP THE URINE YOU ARE SAVING COLD. KEEP THE CONTAINER IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR THE 24-HOUR PERIOD. As soon as you are finished collecting all your urine,
return the container to the lab at the Hospital right away.
SEMEN COLLECTION:
A semen collection is used for post-vasectomy and fertility testing to determine the number of sperm a man has. An appointment must be made for this procedure, and it
can be scheduled Tuesday thru Friday 9 a.m. until 1p.m. Please call your insurance company before coming to your appointment. Many insurance companies will not pay for
this test unless you call them. The hospital can only schedule 2 appointments each day. Call to make your appointment several days in advance.
Once you arrive for your test, you will be given a sterile plastic container. The staff will direct you to a private room. You may bring your significant other with you at
this time. (If you will need magazines or movies to obtain your specimen, you must bring them with you.) The staff will tell you what to do once you obtain your specimen.
The results of your test will be sent to your doctor in about 4 days. You can call your doctor for the results.
LIPID PANEL BLOOD TEST:
If you are here for a lipid panel blood test, you must be fasting. This means: NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK FOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS BEFORE YOUR BLOOD IS TAKEN. If you
have medications that you must take, you may take them with just a small sip of water.
HOW DO I PREPARE?
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
Inform your doctor and the staff doing your test of any medications or vitamins that you take. Also tell them about any allergies that you have.
You may receive special instructions based on the type of test that you need. Make sure to follow all instructions carefully before your test.
Please let the lab technician know if you are diabetic.
LABORATORY CHECK-OFF LIST:
- Tell the lab technician of any recent illness or medical condition:
- Are there any medications I need to stop before having my test done?
- Can I eat and drink before the test? Are there certain foods and drinks I need to avoid before my test?
PLEASE CALL 301-475-6133 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU NEED A:
- GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST
- SEMEN ANALYSIS
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