A12-hour urine collection performs similarly to a 24-hour urine collection for the diagnosis of proteinuria in women with suspected preeclampsia, according to a study published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The shorter collection time maintains high sensitivity and specificity, with the added benefit of convenience and improved clinical efficiency, the authors say. Quantification of urinary protein remains an important diagnostic step in the evaluation of hypertension during pregnancy in the absence of severe symptoms, including end organ involvement (thrombocytopenia, elevated liver transaminases, renal insufficiency, pulmonary edema, or new-onset neurologic symptoms). “Several studies have investigated urine protein-to-creatinine ratio as a rapid test to obviate the need for a 24-hour urine collection,” write the authors led by Molly Stout, M.D., from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. “Although the data show that extremely high or low urine protein-to-creatinine ratio values may be a substitute for a 24-hour urine collection, there are clinical circumstances that may still require a 24-hour urine collection.” Dipstick quantification of urine protein is also not recommended, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The researchers conducted a literature search to identify studies that compared results of both the 12-hour and 24-hour urine collection […]