Metanephrines urine
Normetanephrines urine
Adults : 24 hr urine is required. Acidified is preferred - urine is collected into acid bottles (20mL of 6mol/L HCl). Or, if unacidified, must arrive at the laboratory within 48 hours of commencement of collection for acidification by the laboratory.
Children : Casual urine sample. Minimum sample 2 mls Casual paediatric specimens must be acidified within 2 hours of collection.
Once the sample is collected, send immediately to the laboratory. Please mark request form "Urgent" so that samples are treated with HCl as soon as possible.
Biochemistry
Referred to external laboratory.
Urine metanephrines is the preferred test for investigating phaechromocytoma therefore requests for urine catecholamines on adults will be changed to metanephrines unless clinical details indicate neuroblastoma.
MNEPUP, MNEPU24P
