This test is usually done at home. You must collect all the urine you produce in a 24-hour period.

• When you first get up in the morning, urinate into the toilet. Don't save this urine. Write down the time that you urinated. This marks the start of your 24-hour period.
• For the next 24 hours, collect all your urine. Your doctor or lab will give you a large container to store it in. The container may have a small amount of preservative in it. Urinate into a separate small, clean container. Then pour the urine into the large container. Don't touch the inside of the containers with your fingers.
• Keep the large container in the refrigerator.
• Empty your bladder for the last time at or just before the end of the 24-hour period. Add this urine to the large container, and write down the time.
• Do not get toilet paper, pubic hair, stool (feces), menstrual blood, or anything else in your urine sample.

This test usually doesn't cause any pain or discomfort.

There are no known risks from having this test.

Normal

Each lab has a different range for what's normal. Your lab report should show the range that your lab uses for each test. The normal range is just a guide. Your doctor will also look at your results based on your age, health, and other factors. A value that isn't in the normal range may still be normal for you.

High values

High urine phosphate levels may be caused by:

• Kidney diseases.
• An overactive parathyroid gland (Figure 2) (hyperparathyroidism).

Low values

Low urine phosphate levels may be caused by:

• An underactive parathyroid gland (hypoparathyroidism).
• Kidney or liver diseases.
• Severe malnutrition.

Figure 2 - Thyroid and parathyroid glands

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies in front of the windpipe (trachea), just below the voice box (larynx). The thyroid gland uses iodine from food to make two thyroid hormones that regulate the way the body uses energy.

The parathyroid glands are four tiny glands located behind the thyroid gland. The parathyroid glands produce a substance (parathyroid hormone) that helps control the amount of calcium in the blood.

Current as of: April 30, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.