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Catecholamines - Urine

Source Urine
Mnemonic UCAT and U24H
Specimen Requirements

Extra-regional sites: see Catecholamines - Urine, Extra-regional

80 mL aliquot of acidified 24 hour urine collection. Refer to charts in Specimen Handling and Additional Information sections.
If test is ordered at the same time as Oxalate, collect with HCl instead of Sulfamic acid. See Oxalate.

Refrigerate during collection.
24 hour urine specimen collection container must have preservative pouch(es) added prior to collection.

Specimen Handling

ADULT Collection Type

Weight of Sulfamic acid in pouch for
ADULT Collections

24 hour collections 
for newborn up to 4 years

See Pediatric 24 Hour Urine Acidification chart below

24 hour and timed collections for
patients > 4 years

7 g pouch in each 4 liter container collection

Random collections available for
pediatric (<16) patients only

No preservative required.  Transport to DSC on ice. 
DSC Accession: freeze specimen upon arrival at DSC.


24 Hour Collections:

  • Acidify specimen in original collection container.
  • RECORD 24 hour volume and collection (start and end) dates and time in space provided on requisition.
  • Mix well and pour off acidified aliquot.
  • Sample pH should be less than 3.0.


Pediatric 24 Hour Urine Acidification:

Age

Number of 0.5 g pouches of Sulfamic acid
to add when acidifying during collection

Up to 1 month

Not suitable for 0.5 g pouch
Refer patient to ACH

1 up to 2 months

2

2 up to 4 months

3

4 up to 12 months

4

12 months up to 4 years

5

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Information

Testing includes Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Dopamine

False positive increases in urine and plasma metanephrines and catecholamines have been associated with the following drugs or classes of drugs: anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, some beta blockers, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, some anxiolytics, anti-Parkinson’s drugs, decongestants, phenoxybenzamine.

Interpretation of results while on one of these agents should be interpreted with caution and put into clinical context. 

Testing Location Analytical Toxicology
Testing Frequency Once a month
Alternate Name(s)
Reference Interval

24 HOURS

Age

Epinephrine

Norepinephrine

Dopamine

Units

0-12 months

0-14

0-59

0-555

nmol/d

12-24 months

0-19

6-100

65-914

nmol/d

2-3 years

0-33

24-171

261-1697

nmol/d

4-6 years

1-55

47-266

 

nmol/d

7-9 years

3-76

77-384

 

nmol/d

10-14 years

3-109

89-473

 

nmol/d

4-14 years

 

 

424-2612

nmol/d

15-150 years

<100

<470

<2500

nmol/d

 

RANDOM

Age

Epinephrine

Norepinephrine

Dopamine

Units

0-11 months

0-231

17-207

177-952 

µmol/mol urine creatinine

1-4 years

0-51

17-194

59-900

µmol/mol urine creatinine

4-10 years

3-57

18-72

162-531

µmol/mol urine creatinine

10-18 years

2-36

3-70

89-332

µmol/mol urine creatinine