Blood tests rarely require special preparation, fasting or sampling at a certain time of day. If necessary, check with your treatment unit for instructions.

If your blood test can be taken at any time of the day, we recommend that you have your blood test in the afternoon, when the laboratory is often quieter than in the morning.

Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, smoking and other nicotine products on the day before sampling and on the sampling day before your appointment. You can take your medication normally in the morning of the sampling day, unless your physician has instructed otherwise.

If your test requires fasting, follow these steps:

On the day before sampling:

• Do not consume alcohol.
• Do not eat or drink anything other than water for 10–14 hours before sampling.
• Please note that fasting for too long (more than 14 hours) also affects the examination results.

On the day of the sampling before the appointment:

• Do not smoke or use any nicotine products.
• You can drink a glass of water.
• Follow the instructions provided by your physician for medication.

Your treatment unit (physician/nurse) that referred you for laboratory tests will tell you:

• how long the urine must be in the bladder before the test
• how the sample is taken
• whether the sample can be taken at home or must be taken at a laboratory.

If you have not received a sample container from your treatment unit, you can pick it up at our service location (with a queue ticket or from automatic collection and return of sample containers).

See the instructions for taking samples at home

Check the locations with automatic collection and return of sample containers

• The examination does not require fasting.
• The examination can be performed at any time of the day.
• When choosing what to wear, remember that the upper body and ankles will be bare during the test.
• We recommend you sit for 15 minutes before the ECG test to calm your blood flow and heart rate.
• During the examination, adhesive electrodes are placed on your hands, feet and chest to record the ECG.

• Gynaecological sampling requires you to book an appointment.
• Gynaecological samples cannot be taken during menstruation.
• If you are under any local treatment (such as vaginal suppositories), you can continue using it normally. However, do not apply the local treatment the day before and on the day of sampling.
• Any hormone replacement therapy does not need to be interrupted.
• Normal pregnancy is not a barrier to self-sampling until week 35 of pregnancy. During pregnancy and the postpartum period, you can check the instructions for sampling with your maternity/child health clinic.

• A glucose tolerance test requires you to book an appointment.
• In the days leading up to the glucose tolerance test, your diet should contain enough carbohydrates to get the most accurate result.
• Do not consume alcohol for 24 hours before the glucose tolerance test. Alcohol lowers blood sugar and interferes with the examination result.
• You must fast before the test. This means not eating or drinking for 10–14 hours before the test. You can drink water during the fast. You can drink up to one glass of water on the morning of the test and during the test. You must not eat during the test.
• Avoid physical exertion on the day before and during the test.
• The glucose tolerance test lasts about 2.5 hours. During the test, you must stay in the laboratory.

• Fungal tests require you to book an appointment.
• Skin infection: Do not treat the rash area with local antifungal medication for two weeks before sampling. Do not use internal antifungal medication for two months before sampling.
• Nail infection: Do not treat the nail with local antifungal medication for six weeks or antifungal polish for three months before sampling. Do not use internal antifungal medication for six months before sampling.