How to properly test urine for protein during pregnancy

What does a 24-hour urine test show?

24-hour urine test - collecting urine for 24 hours to check the following data:

• total fluid volume calculated over 24 hours;
• glucose level;
• creatinine, protein, urea;
• oxalates, urates, other salts that cause the formation of stones;
• hemoglobin, urobilinogen;
• physical indicators (color, foam, turbidity or transparency, density, sediment, odor);
• acid-base state.

Since a person cannot constantly come to a clinical facility throughout the day to donate biological fluid, he is placed in a hospital. The attending physician or laboratory assistant gives him a container into which he collects urine every 3 hours. The study form indicates the time at which he transferred the liquid. The test is repeated 8 times a day, ending at night.

If hospitalization is impossible or impractical, the pregnant woman collects the test at home, following all the rules (more on them below).

When is it prescribed?

Research is not always prescribed. To do this, the following must be revealed:

• urinary disorders (polyuria, anuria);
• suspicion of pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, renal failure;
• diabetes mellitus, accompanied by complications for the renal tissue (for example, impaired microcirculation, thrombosis of blood vessels observed in the parenchyma);
• cardiovascular pathologies that cause impaired blood circulation;
• a violation of the water-salt balance, which causes edema, dehydration, hypovitaminosis, osteoporosis and other disorders associated with mineral deficiency.

To order a study, a few of these symptoms are enough:

• increased concentrated urine, even when drinking large amounts of water;
• extensive swelling;
• change in urine color (red, brown, greenish);
• severe lower back pain, often accompanied by fever.

You can view the data received from the laboratory assistant yourself. To confirm the diagnosis and receive treatment, you need to contact your attending physician - a neurologist, urologist, or therapist.

Reviews

Olga, 24 years old:

At 4 months, a general clinical examination showed the number of leukocytes was 75, squamous epithelial cells - 64.4. It turned out that I have an infectious disease of the urinary system. It’s an unpleasant thing, but at least we discovered it in time.

Polina, 29 years old:

The results of the general analysis revealed the presence of ketones and a reaction of 6.5 pH. Doctors diagnosed severe dehydration due to toxicosis. He didn’t prescribe any treatment, he told me to drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day.

Thanks 0

gynecologist, pediatrician

Not really

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As soon as a pregnant woman registers with the antenatal clinic, she should be prepared to undergo a large number of tests. This will help to identify and prevent unwanted complications in time. How to correctly collect a general urine test and why additional laboratory tests are prescribed.

Preparing for the test

During the course of the study, unreliable data may be obtained. This is due to improper preparation or its complete absence. This is why it is important to adhere to the following rules so that the patient does not have to retake the test or receive the wrong treatments.

1. Diet. It is followed 2-3 days before the test. It is not recommended to eat fatty, fried, spicy, or excessively salty foods. It is better to boil or steam it. Alcohol is completely prohibited for 1 day. It is important not to include foods with bright pigmentation in your diet. For example, beets.
2. Refusal of medications. All drugs should be excluded. Many of them affect the physical parameters of biological fluid. For example, antibiotics lead to an excessively yellow, concentrated color. Other drugs can cause redness; the doctor will mistakenly assume gross hematuria. The exception is for medications that significantly worsen the patient’s well-being upon withdrawal.
3. Refusal from instrumental studies 2 weeks before the test. This is especially true for radiography, ultrasound, MRI, and CT. They spread waves through the human body, causing changes in cellular composition.
4. Smoking ban on the day of the test.
5. For 1 day and on the day of analysis, drink the usual amount of liquid to which the person is accustomed. It should include only water without gases. It does not contain chemicals or concentrates that cause changes in the physical parameters of urine.
6. It is not recommended to engage in physical exercise or sports 2 days in advance. This causes creatinine and other substances to be released into the urine. The level of water-electrolyte metabolism changes.
7. Liquid collection is carried out only in sterile containers. It is prohibited to use jars and other contaminated containers. Even if a person washes them, foreign particles will remain inside, affecting the result.
8. Liquid collection usually begins in the morning. This time is from 5 to 7 o'clock.
9. Before each urine collection, it is mandatory to carry out hygiene procedures using antibacterial soap.
10. Before each sample submitted, the vagina is covered with a cotton swab to prevent bacteria and germs from spreading into the sample. Otherwise, the doctor may make an unreliable diagnosis in the form of a bacterial infection.

If the person has prepared correctly, the rules for taking the test are explained to him. He comes to the inpatient facility on the appointed date and time.

Causes of High Protein Levels

Let's find out what is causing the increase in the amount of protein in the urine of a pregnant woman, and why this fact is dangerous.

One of the most common facts, which, fortunately, does not pose a threat to the health of the mother and fetus, is non-compliance with hygiene rules when collecting urine. If you didn’t wash the container properly or forgot to perform hygiene procedures, then urine with protein is a completely expected result.

• Protein in urine during pregnancy

Significant physical activity before taking the test can also affect the increase in protein mass in the urine.

Nervous shocks and stress, in addition to the obvious threat to the well-being and mood of the expectant mother, also affect protein levels.

If you eat too many protein foods: eggs, meat, dairy products, then an increased amount of protein in the urine should not be surprising.

In the case of pyelonephritis, the amount of protein in the urine increases greatly. In addition to pyelonephritis, increased protein levels can provoke the following diseases:

• preeclampsia;
• nephropathy;
• gestosis;
• eclampsia;
• dropsy;
• glomerulonephritis;
• acute inflammation of the kidneys.

It is these diseases that doctors want to exclude when they prescribe a daily test for a pregnant woman. Keep in mind that these diseases are usually accompanied by pain in the lumbar region and sometimes fever. Inflammation of the kidneys and glomerulonephritis, in addition, also color the urine pinkish-red. This fact indicates that the bladder is affected.

How to correctly collect a daily urine test

Unlike other tests that reveal the condition of urine, biological fluid must be collected not once, but every time for 24 hours. But there are certain rules that must be followed in order to obtain reliable data.

1. Preparing a sterile container. It is usually given out at the hospital. You may need to purchase sterile containers that hold a minimum of 2 liters.
2. The collection of biological material begins from 6 to 7 am. This time is recorded so that at the end of receiving the material it is exactly 24 hours.
3. Carrying out preliminary hygiene procedures with bactericidal soap. You can use a weak antiseptic solution.
4. The first portion of urine is poured into the toilet. Collect all remaining biological fluid.
5. First use the container, pouring the resulting urine into a sterile container. It is covered with a lid on top to prevent foreign substances from getting inside.
6. The liquid is sent to the laboratory. It can be stored on the refrigerator door for no more than 2 hours. Freezing is completely excluded, as it destroys some microorganisms and other substances. But it is better to immediately take the sample to a doctor for accurate results.
7. Urine is taken every 3 hours. Makes 8 servings in total.

At the end of the study, the laboratory assistant accepts all the material received. Record each individual sample and the entire volume of liquid. Analyzes are carried out for each individual sample.

During pregnancy, the rules for taking a daily urine test are absolutely the same. A woman must cover her vagina with a cotton swab.

On a note! When the fetus is pregnant, the microflora often changes, so more fungi and bacteria are released.

Clinical study

To properly collect urine for a clinical study, it is enough to follow a few simple rules.

1. On the eve of the test, it is better not to eat salty, sour, or spicy foods. These products may distort the results. It is not recommended to use coloring products.
2. If a woman is taking diuretics or other medications, consult with your doctor and do not take them for a day.
3. Sterile container. It is better to purchase a special container at the pharmacy.
4. Collection time: early morning.
5. Before filling the container, first wash the perineum well with soap and cover the vagina with cotton wool or a tampon. This will prevent unwanted vaginal secretions from entering the urine test.
6. A general analysis requires a median volume of urine. Therefore, you should urinate past for three seconds, then replace the container, and at the end of urination, pass again.
7. The optimal volume for a clinical study is about 120 ml.
8. Afterwards, close the container tightly and deliver it to the laboratory in no more than two hours.
9. The material must not be allowed to overcool. As the temperature decreases, a precipitate of salts may form. This may distort the result.

Laboratory testing determines the physical characteristics, chemical composition and presence of sediment. Physical characteristics are determined by quantity, color, density and transparency. Chemical characteristics - according to the level of acidity, the presence or absence of protein, glucose, bilirubin and ketone bodies. The presence of erythrocytes, epithelial cells, leukocytes and salts is determined by the sediment.

The next day, the finished result is delivered to the doctor, and if some data deviate from normal, he will prescribe additional studies.

Daily diuresis

Daily diuresis is the entire volume of urine excreted in 24 hours. This is an important indicator, especially for certain body conditions. Daily urine collection for analysis during pregnancy is important in order to promptly identify dysfunction of the urinary system. During this period, the fetus sharply increases in size, squeezing the internal organs. Therefore, gestational pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis can form.

When the patient is pregnant, all fluid that enters the body must be released in full. If it stagnates, swelling forms. If deviations from the norm occur in the daily urine test during pregnancy in the ratio of the volume of fluid drunk and excreted, an analysis is prescribed.

Why are leukocytes needed in the body?

White blood cells are necessary in order to fight infections that enter the body. If the infection does penetrate, then the number of leukocytes in the urine and blood will increase sharply.

If the inflammatory process is just beginning to develop, then the total number of leukocytes in the urine will be 10-15. If, as a result, you see that the number of leukocytes in the urine is in the range from 40 to 50, then this is already a serious inflammatory process that must be eliminated urgently. With kidney inflammation (pyelonephritis), the number of leukocytes in the urine is around 50.

Kidney inflammation occurs more often in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women. The reason is the constant, incessant pressure of the uterus on the kidneys.

If the increase in leukocytes in the urine is insignificant (up to 10), then this may be due to the fact that the woman did not wash herself before donating urine.

Glucosuric profile

When serious changes occur in the body, the functionality of internal organs is disrupted. For example, during pregnancy a heavy load is placed on the body. Gradually, the fetus increases in size, squeezing neighboring tissues. Kidney function changes, which can lead to glucose being excreted in the urine. This condition is called glycosuria, it often occurs with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Healthy people also excrete glucose in urine, but in extremely low concentrations. If an excess of the indicator is not observed in the body, there is no threat to the expectant mother and baby. But there are patients who are at risk:

• unfavorable heredity in the acquisition of diabetes mellitus;
• exacerbation of pancreatitis;
• intoxication, poisoning;
• violation of carbohydrate distribution;
• excessively large fruit;
• late pregnancy;
• abnormalities of embryonic development.

Important! Then the woman is periodically prescribed a daily test. In addition, a glucosuric study is used. If the level of the substance is below normal, there is no need to worry. Its increase indicates the development of pathology.