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PREPARATION FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

POSEIDONEIO

RADIOLOGY-ULTRASOUND-MAMMOGRAPHY
ULTRASOUND OF THE UPPER ABDOMEN:

The day before follow the appropriate diet:
Avoid Beans, fruit, vegetables, dairy products.
Allowed: Bread, meat, fish, rice, pasta.
The patient must fast for at least 6-7 hours before the examination.

ULTRASOUND OF THE LOWER ABDOMEN

One hour before the examination, drink 5-6 glasses of water. Do not urinate until after the test. Ensure you feel a strong urge to urinate for the examination to be effective.

BREAST ULTRASOUND:

It is recommended to perform breast ultrasound up to one week after the end of menstruation.

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY Perform the test up to one week after menstruation and repeat it annually. Avoid using deodorants or antiperspirants before the examination as they contain aluminum, which may interfere with diagnosis. Bring any previous mammograms for comparison.

X-RAY EXAMINATIONS:

Important note: Inform the doctor and technician if there is a possibility you are pregnant.

GENERAL GUIDELINES BEFORE BLOOD SAMPLING


12 hours before, do not eat or drink anything except water. Even in tests where fasting is not required, it is advisable that at least 2 hours have passed since the last meal.
24 hours before heavy exercise is prohibited
Find out about the medicines you are taking. Ask your doctor if you should take them before taking them
Do not smoke in the morning before taking the medicine.
It is advisable that you take it in the morning. This does not of course prohibit taking at any time of the day if the previous rules are followed in most cases.
Urgent or emergency admissions can be made at any time of the day at the request of your Doctor.


BIOCHEMICAL TESTS


12-hour fasting is required for many biochemical tests (e.g., glucose, triglycerides, iron, ferritin), and it’s recommended to have the test in the morning, especially for a general check-up.


HORMONE TESTS:


Usually no fasting is required for hormone tests.
For thyroid tests, the thyroid medication is usually taken after the blood draw. Morning intake is recommended.
Some hormones are affected by the menstrual cycle in women. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) are checked on the 2nd to 3rd day of the cycle. Progesterone is usually on day 21.Prolactin is done in the morning 2-4 hours after waking up.


ANTIBODY TESTS


No special preparation is needed, and these tests can be done at any time.


TUMOR MARKERS


These tests can be done at any time of the day. 2-hour fasting is recommended to avoid lipemia.


DRUG LEVELS: 

Drug level tests can be done at any time of the day without fasting.

Always follow the specific instructions provided by your doctor.
For some tests, separate preparation may be required.
If you have any doubts or need additional guidance, don't hesitate to contact the medical center for instructions on your specific tests.

GENERAL URINE TEST


Wash the external genitals very well with soap and water (do not use antiseptic). Rinse with plenty of water. Wipe with a clean towel.
In a sterile container (urine collector) collect urine from the means of urination. That is, after letting the first urine run down the toilet bowl, collect the middle stream of urine in the sterile container and let the rest fall down the toilet.
Preferably collect the first morning urine. But it's okay if it's any other urination.
The urine must be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible, otherwise it is placed in the refrigerator until it is given to the laboratory.


URINE CULTURE Follow the same steps as for the general urine test. Urine culture should be done before starting antibiotic treatment. If you have already taken antibiotics, inform the lab staff.


24-HOUR URINE COLLECTION


 Discard the first morning urine into the toilet. Collect all subsequent urinations throughout the day and night into a 24-hour urine collection container or a very well-washed container. The following morning, collect urine, including the first morning sample. It’s important not to miss any urine collection. If this happens, the collection needs to be repeated. Keep the collected urine in the fridge in a cool, dark place and bring it to the lab as soon as possible.


2-HOUR URINE COLLECTION (RANDOM URINE SAMPLE)


First morning urine is left in the toilet and the exact time of urination is noted. Immediately afterwards drink 1-2 glasses of water, so that in two hours you are ready to urinate and collect the entire amount of urine. You may eat the night before until 9:00 with the required diet if required for the specific test and as directed by your Doctor.


Always follow the specific instructions provided by your doctor.
For some tests, separate preparation may be required.
If you have any doubts or need additional guidance, don't hesitate to contact the medical center for instructions on your specific tests.

PAP TEST – THINPREP

Avoid sexual intercourse, vaginal creams, douching, or intra-vaginal ultrasounds for 48 hours prior to the test. Follow-up testing is recommended after at least two months (after two menstrual cycles in women of reproductive age), if advised by your doctor. The ideal timing for the sample collection is between the 11th and 19th day of the menstrual cycle.

URINE CYTOLOGY TEST

Collect 3 samples of second morning urine over consecutive days. The samples should be brought to the lab as soon as possible. If this is not feasible, store them in the fridge until delivery.

SPUTUM CYTOLOGY TEST

Coordinate with the cytologist about whether the samples should be preserved in a fixative solution. Collect 3 samples on consecutive days.
STRESS TEST

The test is performed on a treadmill. The patient should arrive wearing comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for walking or running. A 2-hour fast is required before the test.

HEART TRIPLEX (ECHOCARDIOGRAM)

No special preparation is needed.

HOLTER (RHYTHM OR BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING)

No special preparation is needed.
THYROGLOBULIN (TG): No biopsy, surgery, scintigraphy, or radioiodine therapy for at least 2 weeks prior to the test.
D4 (DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONED): Preferably during the first 5 or the last 5 days of the menstrual cycle. Morning collection is recommended as levels vary throughout the day.

PLASMA ADRENALINE: The patient must fast and not smoke for 4 hours before the blood draw.

Diet Restrictions: Avoid nuts, bananas, coffee, tea, vanilla, and aromatic apples for 6 days before the test.

Medications: Avoid taking α-methyl-dopa, methenamine, hydralazine, ampicillin, and sulfonamides for 3 days prior to testing.

ALDOSTERONE (REST AND FATIGUE): Avoid the use of diuretics, antihypertensives, cyclic progesterone, estrogens, and licorice for 2-5 weeks. Follow a normal sodium diet (100-200 mmol/24h) for 3 weeks before the test.

RENIN (REST AND FATIGUE): Do not take diuretics, antihypertensives, cyclic progesterone, estrogens, licorice, steroids, or caffeine for 24 hours before the test.

GROWTH HORMONE: Fasting for 8 hours is required, and the patient must remain completely still for 30 minutes to avoid stress that could affect the results.

GASTRIN: Fasting is required. Gastrin levels increase after meals containing animal proteins.

CALCITONIN(CT): 8-hour fasting is required, and the test should ideally be taken in the morning.

CORTISOL: Follow general guidelines before blood sampling. The test should be done between 7:45 and 8:15 AM, or similarly timed in the evening, due to the hormone's circadian rhythm.

PARATHYROID HORMONE: Morning collection after 12 hours of fasting

SEROTONIN: Avoid medications that inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) for 3 days before the test, and avoid tomatoes, bananas, prunes, eggplants, and chestnuts.

ANTDIURETIC HORMONE: 8 hours of fasting is required, and blood must be drawn in the morning.

HOMOCYSTEINE: Preparation: 12-hour fasting is required. Avoid taking methotrexate, phenytoin, antiepileptics, amino thiols, L-dopa, and cholestyramine. Exposure to N2O (anesthesia) is not permitted. Taking contraceptives, hormone therapies and pregnancy lower homocysteine blood serum levels. Vitamin B12 deficiency can increase levels.

ADRENALINE(URINE): Follow general guidelines. Discontinue antihypertensive medications 1 week prior to collection always with prior consent of your doctor. During urine collection, avoid coffee, tea, bananas, nuts, smoking, and stress.

ALDOSTERONE(URINE): Follow general guidelines. Stop taking diuretics, antihypertensives, cyclic progesterone, estrogens, and licorice for 2-4 weeks. Follow a normal sodium diet Να (100-200 mmol/24h) for 3 weeks.

CATECHOLAMINES(URINE 24h): Follow general guidelines. Avoid dopamine, α and β blockers, diamines, aspirin, vitamin B, phenothiazines, and caffeine-containing products 2 weeks prior.

17-KETOSTEROIDS(URINE):Follow general guidelines. Avoid antibiotics (cephalosporins, erythromycin, penicillin, spironolactone) and ACTH or corticosteroids for 2 days before the test. Avoid stress during collection.

CORTISOL(URINE): Follow general guidelines. Avoid antibiotics and corticosteroids for 2 days before the test.

FREE CORTISOL(URINE): Follow general guidelines. Avoid antibiotics and corticosteroids for 2 days before the test.

METANEPHRINES(URINE 24h): Follow general guidelines. Avoid stress during collection. Avoid certain medications (aspirin, B and C vitamins, phenothiazines, Levodopa, guanethidine analog, imibramine, ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracyclines, sulfonamides) and certain foods (caffeine, chocolate, bananas, aromatic apples) for 2 days prior to collection.

NOREPINEPHRINE(URINE 24h): Follow general guidelines. Discontinue antihypertensive medications 1 week before collection. Avoid coffee, tea, bananas, nuts, smoking, and stress during collection.

5-HYDROXY-INDOLEACETIC ACID(5-HIAA): Follow general guidelines. Avoid foods such as bananas, pineapple, avocado, kiwis, red plums, tomatoes, nuts, chestnuts, eggplants, and chocolate for 3-4 days before and during collection. Certain medications (like methyldoraphenothiazine, chlorpromazine, promazine, reserpine, acetophenetidine, methocarbamol) should be avoided for 3 days before and during the test (they can affect the results).

17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTEROIDS(17-OHCS): Follow general guidelines. Avoid stress and medications like spironolactone, quinacrine, ACTH, and corticosteroids before and during collection.

VANILLYMANDELIC ACID(VMA) (URINE 24h): Follow general guidelines. Avoid aspirin, pyridoxine, Levodopa, Corbidopa, reserpine, amoxicillin, and foods like coffee, tea, bananas, citrus fruits, and vanilla for 2 weeks before collection. Preservative 15 mL HCl 6N solution is required in the container before starting the collection.

Additional Considerations: For most of these tests, especially those involving urine collection, it is essential to follow the doctor's instructions and maintain proper dietary and medication restrictions to ensure accurate results.
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