How long do urinalysis results take

How is the test done? How long does the test take? What happens after the test? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. What is it? Wash your hands before collecting the urine. If the container has a lid, remove the lid of the container and set it down with the inner surface up. Clean the area around your penis or vagina. Begin urinating into the toilet or urinal. After the urine has flowed for several seconds, place the collection container in the stream and collect about 60 mL a quarter cup of this "midstream" urine without stopping the flow.

Don't touch the rim of the container to your genital area. Finish urinating into the toilet or urinal. Carefully replace the lid on the container.

Wash your hands. The test will take a few minutes. You will probably be able to go home right away. July 13, July 30, Mayo Clinic. December 28, Harvard Medical School. June Urine Tests. Kids Health. March University of Florida Health. January 26, What Is a Urinalysis?

National Kidney Foundation. August 8, Sources Urinalysis and Urine Culture. Merck Manual. November Usually, providers only use GC-MS tests as follow-ups because they are more expensive, and the results take longer to receive. Urine drug screens use cut-off levels.

This means that a result will only be positive if the amount of the drug is above a certain level. Having cut-off levels helps prevent false-positive results. These can occur when a person has not taken an illegal drug, but they have eaten food containing a legal amount of hemp, coca, or opium. For example, eating poppy seeds before a urine drug screen can, in rare cases, cause the test to detect the presence of opium. Cut-off levels also reduce the chance of a person testing positive after only passive exposure to a drug.

Secondhand smoke is one example of passive exposure. These fail to indicate that a person has recently done drugs. A false-negative result can occur if the urine is very diluted. Many factors affect the length of time that a test can detect a certain drug in the body. These factors include:. If a person uses a drug very frequently or heavily, a urine test will detect the drug for a longer period.

For example, the detection times for marijuana can depend on how often a person uses it:. This table shows how long a urine test can detect certain drugs after a person has taken them:.

The test requires little preparation. Usually, a person just has to urinate into a plastic container. It is important to note that certain medicines and supplements can cause false-positive results that indicate illegal drug use. A medical professional or technician will carry out the urine drug screen.

They may start by asking a person to:. The technician will then measure the temperature of the urine sample to ensure that it is suitable for testing. They will then seal the sample in a plastic bag. Both the donor and the technician should keep an eye on the sample until it is sealed, to make sure that no one has tampered with it. Sometimes, the technician will accompany the person into the test room to make sure that they are giving the sample correctly.

The technician should explain the reason for this supervision. Urine drug screen results usually come back within a few days.