Not every requisition means a needle. A large share of the samples that arrive at Bio-Test's centres across Ottawa are urine: for suspected bladder infections, for kidney and diabetes monitoring, for pregnancy care, and for sexually transmitted infection screening. Collecting the sample properly matters more than most people realise, because a contaminated or badly timed sample can mean a repeat test. This guide covers the common urine tests, how to collect each one, and how to bring it to us.
The urine tests you are most likely to be asked for
- Routine urinalysis: a chemical dipstick and a microscopic look at the sample, used for urinary symptoms, blood in the urine, kidney checks and prenatal visits
- Urine culture: grows any bacteria present to identify an infection and which antibiotics it responds to; needs a clean midstream sample
- Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR): a sensitive check for small amounts of protein leaking from the kidneys, ordered regularly for people with diabetes or high blood pressure alongside creatinine and eGFR
- Urine for chlamydia and gonorrhea: a first-catch sample rather than midstream; part of the screening described in our STI testing guide
- 24-hour urine collection: everything you pass over a full day, used for certain kidney, stone and hormone investigations
- Urine pregnancy test: your provider more often orders a blood beta-hCG, but a urine hCG may be requested; see prenatal blood tests in Ottawa
You still need a requisition, and the right container
Urine tests follow the same rule as bloodwork in Ontario: a community laboratory can only test a specimen ordered by an authorized practitioner on a signed requisition. Routine urinalysis and urine culture are insured laboratory services when ordered by a physician, nurse practitioner or midwife and you present a valid health card; urine drug screening requested by an employer is a third-party service and is not covered. Our guide to what OHIP covers has the details.
The container matters. Cultures need a sterile container, 24-hour collections need a large jug, sometimes with a preservative already inside, and STI tests use a specific kit. Household jars are not acceptable. If you plan to collect at home, pick up the correct container from any Bio-Test centre first and tell the staff which test is on your requisition; the simplest option for most patients is to collect at the centre in our washroom, where the container and instructions are provided.
How to collect a midstream (clean-catch) sample
This is the standard technique for urinalysis and urine culture. The goal is to keep skin bacteria out of the sample.
- Wash your hands. Open the container without touching the inside of the cup or the lid.
- Clean the area with the wipe provided: front to back for women, holding the labia apart; for men, retract the foreskin if present and clean the tip.
- Start passing urine into the toilet for a second or two.
- Without stopping the flow, move the container into the stream and collect until it is about a third to half full.
- Finish in the toilet. Cap the container firmly, wipe the outside, and wash your hands.
- Check that your name and date of birth are on the label, not just the lid.
If you are menstruating, tell the staff; a culture can still be done but the result may be harder to interpret, and your provider may prefer to wait. First-morning urine is the most concentrated and is preferred for ACR and some other tests; for a culture, any time of day is acceptable but you should not have urinated in the previous hour or two if possible.
First-catch samples for chlamydia and gonorrhea
The technique here is the opposite of midstream. Collect the first part of the stream, roughly the first 20 to 30 millilitres, because that is where the organisms are most concentrated, and try not to have urinated for at least an hour beforehand. Do not clean the area first. The kit your provider or our staff gives you will say how much to collect; do not overfill it.
How to do a 24-hour collection
- Pick up the container from a Bio-Test centre and check whether it contains preservative; if it does, do not pour it out and keep it away from children.
- Choose a start time, usually first thing in the morning. Empty your bladder into the toilet at that time and write it on the container. That first urine is not collected.
- For the next 24 hours, collect every drop into the container, including any passed during bowel movements and overnight. Keep the container in the fridge or on ice throughout.
- At the same time the next morning, empty your bladder into the container one last time. That ends the collection.
- Bring the container to us the same day, keeping it cool in transit. If you miss a void, tell the staff; your provider may want the collection repeated rather than tested incomplete.
Getting a sample to us
Freshness matters. Bring a sample collected at home to the centre within about two hours, or keep it refrigerated and bring it the same morning; a culture that has sat warm for hours can grow bacteria that were never in your bladder. Samples are accepted on a walk-in basis at all 11 Bio-Test centres during opening hours; you do not need an appointment to drop one off, but you do need to check in at the desk with your requisition and health card so it can be registered and labelled correctly. Results for urinalysis follow the usual turnaround for routine tests, while cultures take longer because the bacteria need time to grow; our article on how long results take explains what to expect.
Children and urine samples
Toddlers and young children cannot always produce a midstream sample on request. Providers sometimes supply an adhesive collection bag for infants, or ask parents to catch a sample in a clean container at home; ask the practitioner who ordered the test what they prefer, and see our guide to blood tests for kids in Ottawa for tips on making any lab visit easier for a child.
Dropping off a urine sample in Ottawa
Whether you collect at home or at the centre, the essentials are the same: the right container, a clean technique, a correctly labelled sample, and prompt delivery to any Bio-Test location with your requisition and health card. Bloodwork on the same requisition can be drawn during the same visit, walk-in or booked online. If fasting tests are also on the form, read our preparation guide before you come; if you cannot easily get to a centre, home collection can be arranged by request for a fee.