Biochemistry

Preferred Sample Type

Albumin (Urine) (microalbumin ACR)

Suitable Specimen Types

Plain Spot Urine 24 Hour Urine Plain

Albumin (Urine) (microalbumin ACR)

Specimen Volume

2 mL urine (minimum sample volume 0.5 mL)

Sample Preparation

Perform urine creatinine analysis also

Turnaround Time

1 day

Sample Processing In Laboratory

Usual

Sample Stability

4 ºC

General Information

In insulin-dependent diabetes, detection of early proteinuria usually indicates diabetic nephropathy which frequently progresses to end-stage renal failure.

As many as 45% of insulin-dependent diabetics will develop diabetic nephropathy. Patients with microalbuminuria and an increased GFR (>150 mL/min) have a 20 fold chance of developing clinical albuminuria and nephropathy.

Microalbuminuria (30-300mg albumin/day) occurs long before clinical proteinuria becomes evident and has been shown to indicate a highly increased risk of renal failure. These smaller increases in urinary albumin are treatable by improving glycaemic control and arterial blood pressure.

Urine samples may be timed collections thus allowing albumin excretion rate to be calculated. The National Kidney Foundation recommends microalbuminuria to be measured on random urine specimens in which the albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) is calculated.

 

 

Patient Preparation

None

Notes

Urine samples may be timed collections thus allowing albumin excretion rate to be calculated or they may be random specimens in which the albumin:creatinine ratio is calculated.

Reference Range

Albumin:creatinine ratio:  <3.0 mg/mmol creatinine

24h Albumin excretion: <0.003 g/24h (<30 mg/24h)

 

Reference range only applicable in patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Specifications

  • EQA Status: NEQAS
  • EQAS Scheme: Yes

Tags

ACR albumin:creatinine ratio diabetes nephrotic

Related Tests

Creatinine (Urine)

Creation Date

Monday, 08 August 2011

Modification Date

Monday, 23 December 2019

General Information

General information about the website and its content

Read more

Location of Laboratories

Where the laboratories are located and information about the services offered at each laboratory

Read more

Copyright UHB Pathology 2018

Protection of Personal Information – Clinical Laboratory Services comply with the Trust Data Protection Policy and have procedures in place to allow the Directorate and it’s employees to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and associated best practice and guidance.

University Hospitals Birmingham medical laboratories at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital are UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited to the ISO 15189:2012 standard. For a list of accredited tests and other information please visit the UKAS website using the following link: https://www.ukas.com/find-an-organisation/

  • Molecular Pathology is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 8759
  • Biochemistry is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 8910
  • Haematology and Transfusion is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 8784
  • Clinical Microbiology is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 8760
  • Cellular Pathology is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 10141
  • Musculoskeletal laboratory is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 9897
  • Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital pathology laboratories are a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No.8217.

Tests not appearing on the UKAS Schedule of Accreditation currently remain outside of our scope of accreditation. However, these tests have been validated to the same high standard as accredited tests and are performed by the same trained and competent staff.

For further test information, please visit the test database: http://qehbpathology.uk/test-database

For further information contact Louise Fallon, Quality Manager, 0121 371 5962