Test Order Mnemonic: ALA

Test Includes: Urine Porphobilinogen and Urine Total Porphyrin

Lab: Porphyrin Laboratory

Request Form: Miscellaneous slip

Collection: Random or 24-Hour Urine (Discard early morning specimen. Start timing from this point. Collect all urine over the next 24 hours including sample voided at the same time the next morning).

Storage Instructions: Refrigerate during collection. Use dark or foil-wrapped container to protect from light.

Causes for Rejection: Samples not protected from light.

Availability: Samples are received 24 hours per day at Sample Management, 5.136 McCullough or from 8 AM-5 PM, Monday-Friday at Room 3.102, Ewing Hall.

Turnaround Time: Routine; test is performed weekly.

Special Instructions: 24-hour collections require 5 gm of sodium carbonate as a preservative.

Specimen: Urine

Volume: 50 mL of random urine specimen or 50 mL aliquot of 24-hour sample with recorded information about total urine volume.

Minimum Volume: 10 mL urine

Container: Urine cup with screw cap protected from light (foil-wrapped) or 24-hour brown urine bottle.