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Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test

 


ADVANCED ELECTROLYTES AND UREA (U&E) BLOOD TEST

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£69.00
£69.00 - £69.00
£69.00
£49.00
£49.00 - £49.00
£49.00

A GP favourite, also known as U&Es, covers everything you to measure your electrolyte levels and a few extras thrown in.

Simple and accurate blood test from a laboratory you can speak to.

STEP 1 - CHOOSE YOUR SAMPLE COLLECTION OPTION

HOME KIT VIA ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 24

  • Available everywhere in mainland UK.
  • Includes everything you need to take a safe and suitable blood sample in about 15 minutes.
  • Post the sample back to our laboratory via Royal Mail Tracked 24.

FREE KIT REPLACEMENT
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About the test

Electrolytes are the salts and minerals that are dissolved in your blood stream. They are vital for conducting nerve impulses, causing muscle contractions, and for regulating the acid-base balance of your blood.

This is the advanced version of our Electrolytes Blood Test that also measures Magnesium, Albumin and works out Corrected Calcium value, which is a more accurate way to measure Calcium. It also measures Urea, which makes it a most requested panel for the GP investigations.

It is hard to overstate the importance of electrolytes but oddly, because they are such a fundamental building block of our biology, they are easily forgotten. Sodium, potassium, and calcium are all vitally important for allowing nerve impulses to be conducted, muscles to contract, and the heart rhythm to be maintained.

Thankfully, major abnormalities in electrolytes are not common in people whose health is generally good, although they are much more common in people who are seriously unwell in hospital. Abnormalities may occur in a wide range of conditions but some of the more common causes include kidney disease, severe diarrhoea or vomiting, or malnourished states including eating disorders.

However, electrolyte imbalances are a fairly common side effect of some medications, particularly those used for blood pressure control, and electrolytes are routinely monitored for people on these medications. Fortunately, the abnormalities are usually mild and correct themselves if the medication is stopped.

7 Biomarkers

  1. ELECTROLYTES

    - Sodium
    - Calcium
    - Corrected calcium
    - Potassium (Clinic only. Not available in home kits as this biomarker can only be accurate if analysed within a very short period of time - 8 hours.)
    - Chloride
    - Albumin
    - Magnesium
    - Urea

  1. TURNAROUND TIME

    We are extremely fast, with some results available within hours and others within a working day or less, from the time your sample is in our lab. However, this is not a guarantee and should not be taken as such. This is the guideline turnaround time that can be shorter or longer.


    THIS IS NOT A GUARANTEED TURNAROUND TIME.


    We are extremely proud of our very short turnaround times and a very efficient laboratory processes, you will start receiving results as soon as they are available and have completed clinical validation.


    Whilst we accommodate the shortest of time scales, with some results available within hours, for this particular test the usual turnaround time is: 1-2 working days.

  1. CAN I SEE A GP? YES, USUALLY ON THE SAME DAY.

    One Day Tests has a fantastic clinical team of consultants and GPs. Once you have your results you can book a consultation.


    Our clinical team consists of practicing NHS and private GPs, who work closely with our laboratory and can tell you what your blood test results mean for you. Having an integrated laboratory and GP services makes your health journey seamless and extremely efficient.

DOCTOR'S COMMENTS

Hi, I am Dr. Adam Staten and here's my view on this test as a GP and Clinical Director at One Day Tests.

It is hard to overstate the importance of electrolytes but oddly, because they are such a fundamental building block of our biology, they are easily forgotten.

Sodium, potassium, and calcium are all vitally important for allowing nerve impulses to be conducted, muscles to contract, and the heart rhythm to be maintained. 

Thankfully, major abnormalities in electrolytes are not common in people whose health is generally good, although they are much more common in people who are seriously unwell in hospital. Abnormalities may occur in a wide range of conditions but some of the more common causes include kidney disease, severe diarrhoea or vomiting, or malnourished states including eating disorders. 

However, electrolyte imbalances are a fairly common side effect of some medications, particularly those used for blood pressure control, and electrolytes are routinely monitored for people on these medications.

Fortunately, the abnormalities are usually mild and correct themselves if the medication is stopped. 

Red flag symptoms for the Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test

Even if all the blood tests are normal, you should still see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms below.

  • Progressive weakness or lethargy
  • Confusion
  • Severe muscle cramps

Your Results and Health Dashboard

The results of your Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test will be emailed to you as a secured PDF file, ready for your GP and will also be uploaded to our Health Dashboard area of the website. It’s a unique and powerful tool, powered by our in-house clinical analysis research, to match your biomarkers across test panels and symptoms, as well as provide clinical commentary on all individual biomarkers you tested for.

The health dashboard will also provide "panel level" commentary - a birds eye view of the biomarkers that were tested. This feature allows you to view your test results and clinical commentary, and compare them to previous results, giving you a clear understanding of how your health is progressing.

By using the Health Dashboard, you can identify changes in your biomarkers and make necessary adjustments to your lifestyle. This added value is immense, as it empowers you to monitor your health and make informed decisions about your well-being.

It's free and is available with all of our tests.

Save on continuous monitoring with our subscription plan

The best way to look after your health is to do so regularly. This is easy to do with our continual monitoring plans which give you a discount on future blood tests. You choose the frequency and we'll do the rest.

When you purchase a subscription, we will deliver your home test kits or allow you to book appointments in line with your chosen frequency. You will be able to track your biomarkers over time in our powerful Health Dashboard, where results will be automatically updated for you. There is a minimum of 3 tests with any subscription, after which you can pause/restart/cancel at any time.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Hi, I am Stefania Brown, I am the Laboratory Manager at One Day Tests and here are the lab's special requests for the Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test.

  1. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING THE ADVANCED ELECTROLYTES AND UREA (U&E) BLOOD TEST.

    There are no special instructions for this test.


    There is a larger failure rate for potassium biomarker in the capillary testing (deterioration etc). Unfortunately we are unable to report on potassium measurement in the capillary home kit version of this test.


Venepuncture appointment - how to prepare

If you are coming into one of our clinics for the test, this is what you need to do before you arrive:

  • Drink plenty of water about an hour before the appointment.
  • Avoid coffee/tea/energy drinks. Water is good!
  • That’s it! We’ll do the rest.

Home test kit for Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test - how it works

Our blood test kits are simple and convenient.

The most important step in doing a blood test at home is to read the instructions very carefully. The process is very simple, but there are a few pitfalls you need to be aware of - you will save yourself a lot of time if you do it right the first time around!

  • Full printed instructions will arrive with your kit - please read them carefully.
  • Drink plenty before taking the sample and warm your hands up in the sink with warm water for a few minutes. This will make your blood flow much better.
  • Fill the tubes to the top line. We don’t need much blood; filling tubes to the top line is about 15 drops of blood.
  • Post the samples on the same day you take them, before midday, Monday to Thursday. If you post it any other time it might get to us late or be stuck at a sorting office over the weekend. You will then have to do it again.
  • Package the sample in the same box the kit came in. Otherwise, Royal Mail or DPD will reject it. The sample tubes go into a pouch, then into a cardboard box, and then into a return envelope. All of this is provided in the kit: please use it.

We look forward to receiving your sample in our lab!

How the finger prick home blood test kit for Advanced Electrolytes and Urea (U&E) Blood Test works - from Dr. Adam Staten

Follow our step by step instructions on how to take your sample quickly and easily using the blood sample collection finger prick test.

WHY CHOOSE US?

Hello! My name is Dr. Vinesh Mistry, I am part of the GP team here at One Day Tests and here is why you should trust us to test your blood.

  1. QUICK AND ACCURATE RESULTS, DIRECT FROM A LABORATORY.

    We run our own regulated laboratories and our own accredited clinics. We manufacture our own approved home sample collection kits. Your results are looked after by our fantastic clinical governance team and our super-talented biomedical science team.


    When you book your test with us - you book directly with the lab. This means accuracy and responsible duty of care, direct access to the provider and extremely fast turnaround times.


    Finally, our customer services rock! You can ask the lab a question any time or you can speak to a real human. You can email us on hello@onedaytests.com or give us a call on 0127 309 2844.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hi, I am Lana Nela, Lead Nurse, and here is what we are frequently asked about this test.

What are the symptoms of electrolyte imbalances?

This depends on the electrolyte that is either high or low. In many cases, if the imbalance is mild, there will be no symptoms. Major electrolyte imbalances can cause lethargy, muscle cramps, nausea, weakness, and eventually, severe problems such as seizures and cardiac arrest. 

If my medication can cause electrolyte imbalances, are they putting my health at risk?

It is routine practice to check people’s electrolytes soon after starting a medication that can affect the electrolytes, again after a dose change, and then yearly after that. This allows your doctor to identify any problems early and change the medication if necessary. 

Does my diet affect my electrolytes?

Electrolytes come from our food, and a normal diet will usually provide adequate amounts of sodium, potassium and chloride. In fact, the Western diet usually contains too much sodium. Dietary potassium is usually adequate, and you might be advised to avoid potassium rich foods, such as tomatoes or bananas, if you are on a medication that can raise potassium levels. 

Low potassium levels can occur in malnourished states (as might occur in an eating disorder) or low levels might be a result of excess potassium loss through prolonged diarrhoea or due to certain medications. In these circumstances you might be given potassium supplements or advised to increase your dietary intake. Your kidneys will get rid of excess potassium and sodium, assuming they are healthy.
Your levels of calcium may be low if you eat little calcium, for example if you follow a plant based diet, and your calcium may also be low if your vitamin D levels are low. 

WHY TAKE THE TEST?

Hi, I am Nader Eldarf, I am a Biomedical Scientist in our laboratory and here is why it's important to take this test.

  1. WHY TAKE THE ADVANCED ELECTROLYTES AND UREA (U&E) BLOOD TEST?

    You want to see if your symptoms are due to an electrolyte imbalance

    You want to check that your medications aren’t affecting your electrolytes

IS THIS TEST RIGHT FOR YOU?

Hi, I am Sandeep Patel, I am the Laboratory Director at One Day Tests. Here are the symptoms that you may wish to address with this test.

  1. IS THE ADVANCED ELECTROLYTES AND UREA (U&E) BLOOD TEST RIGHT FOR YOU?

    Electrolyte imbalances can be the result of a number of illnesses, dietary factors and, perhaps most commonly, medication. You can take the electrolyte test to make sure that your levels of sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium are all normal.

  1. SYMPTOMS AND TAGS

    Abdominal discomfort, Chronic fatigue, Confusion, Convulsions or seizures, Diarrhoea, Fast beating heart, Fatigue, Headache, Irregular heartbeat, Irritability, Muscle cramps, Nausea, Stomach cramps, Tingling and Vomiting

WHY ARE BLOOD TESTS IMPORTANT?

Health monitoring is very important, you are in charge of your health - look after it.