Table 2.

Urine albumin sampling and reporting – current practice in Australasia (results of RCPA QAP survey conducted in 2009 – total results with NZ numbers in brackets^*).

Urine albumin – sample type recommended by laboratory
Sample	24 hour	Other timed sample	Random spot sample	First morning spot sample
Total (NZ)	18 (0)	18 (1)	26 (7)	16 (0)

Urine albumin – received sample type (number of laboratories receiving half or more of their samples of the type shown)
Sample	24 hour	Other timed sample	Random spot sample	First morning spot sample
Total (NZ)	5 (0)	7 (0)	35 (7)	11 (1)

Urine albumin – spot urine samples – reporting units
Quantity	Concentration			Albumin/creatinine ratio
Units	mg/L	g/L	μg/mL	mg/mmol	g/mol
Total (NZ)	38 (6)	1 (0)	1 (0)	21 (1)	5 (1)

Urine albumin – timed urine samples – reporting units
Quantity	Concentration		Excretion rate
Units	mg/L	g/L	mg/day	g/min	g/day
Total (NZ)	33 (5)	1 (0)	12 (2)	20 (1)	2 (0)

Timed urine albumin concentration upper reference limit** (mg/L)
Limit	15	18	20	25	30	25 (1st)/ 35 random
Total (NZ)	1 (1)	1 (0)	11 (0)	1 (0)	8 (4)	1 (0)

Timed urine albumin excretion upper reference limit** (μg/min)
Limit	15	20	30	34
Total (NZ)	4 (0)	20 (0)	1 (0)	2 (1)

Urine albumin/creatinine ratio upper reference limit** (mg/mmol)
Limit	1.0	2.0	2.5	2.5/3.0#	2.5/3.5#	3.0	3.5
Total (NZ)	3 (0)	2 (0)	5 (1)	1 (0)	7 (0)	1 (0)	10 (3)

^*Numbers may not add to the total due to missing data, the format not being used by a laboratory, or multiple answers possible.

^**For reference intervals, the upper limits shown (X) represent limits expressed as both ‘<X’ and ‘0-X’ or very similar values and thus all may not indicate exactly the same decision point.

^#Male limit/female limit.