Special Guideline for Spot Urine Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA)
1. Obtain Special acid urine bottle for collection of 10 mL spot urine for paediatric patients of age
below 12 years.
2. Patients on (but not limited to) aspirin, alpha-methyldopa, labetalol, and other sympathomimetics
may have potential analytical interferences with the HPLC assay. Please omit their use for at least 4
weeks prior to the urine collection.
3. Patients with recent change of antihypertensive therapy, in particular, calcium channel blockers,
may have physiological changes of catecholamines secretion. Please avoid change of
anti-hypertensive therapy 4 weeks before urine collection.
4. The following foods should be restricted 3 days prior to and during the urine collection:
• tomato, spinach, water chestnut, sweet potato, green pepper, watercress, bean spout, broccoli,
green cucumber, pumpkin
• coffee, tea and caffeine-containing drinks (e.g. coke)
• fruit (especially bananas), fruit juice, jam, nuts and chocolate
• vanilla-containing food (e.g. ice-cream, cakes, sweet , etc.)
5. Stress period like acute illness, malignant hypertension or recent myocardial infarction, and also
vigorous or prolonged exercise prior to urine collection may increase the endogenous secretion of
adrenaline affecting the results.
量度尿液香草扁桃酸的特別指引
1. 未滿十二歲的兒科病人只需要收集十毫升小便樣本於特別的小便樣本
瓶。
2. 請避免於留小便前四星期內更改藥物以免影響結果,病人請遵照醫生
指示於留小便期間照常服用所需藥物。
3. 請於在留小便的前三日及當日禁戒以下的食物,以免影響量度的結果:
z 蕃茄、菠菜、馬啼、蕃薯、青椒、西洋菜、芽菜、西蘭花、青瓜、
南瓜
z 咖啡、茶及含咖啡因的飲品,如可樂汽水
z 香蕉、果汁、果醬、果仁、朱古力
z 含雲呢拿香料食品,如雪糕、甜飽、甜餅、蛋糕、糖果等
4. 收集小便樣本期間,如感到身體不適或進行劇烈運動,可能會影響量
度的結果,請通知醫生有關情況。
威爾斯親王醫院 化學病理部 (2009)