Overnight urine 5HIAA analysis vs 24 hour urine 5HIAA analysis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is a urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (HIAA)/Creatinine Ratio on an early morning urine sample an acceptable alternative to the current 24 hour sample analysis?
IRAS ID
146341
Contact name
Alison Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Ulster
Research summary
This research is aimed at determining whether an overnight urine sample is an acceptable alternative to the 24 hour urine sample currently used in 5HIAA analysis, in the diagnosis of carcinoid tumours.\nCurrently at York NHS Teaching Hospital a 24 hour urine collection is requested to maximise the identification of a positive result. 24 hour urinary collections are often poorly collected as well as having practical limitations. 5HIAA collections also require acidification to maintain a pH of 4-6, which can pose a potential hazard to the patient. An alternative approach would be to analyse 5HIAA concentrations on an overnight collection.\nThe current protocol at York NHS Teaching Hospital for collecting a 24 hour urine sample requires the patient to empty their bladder first thing on the morning their collection will start, discarding their overnight urine. Instead of discarding the overnight urine this would be collected into a separate random urine container for analysis. A letter, along with a random urine container, would be sent to the patient detailing the proposed investigation along with the 24 hour urine collection container. The patient will be required to read and sign the letter, providing their consent to the investigations. Any samples returned with letters unsigned will be rejected. The random collection container will be acidified with glacial acetic acid once received by the laboratory.\nIf the overnight sample is comparable to the 24 hour sample this would mean York Hospital could provide a much more efficient service, with turn around times being dramatically reduced, in addition to having financial benefits to the laboratory.\nThe HPLC equipment is already used in the laboratory for other analysis however the additional reagent costs will be paid by the Biochemistry laboratory.\n
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/0165
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion