All Referral Forms Accepted
All pathology referral forms are accepted at 4Cyte.
Bulk Billing
At 4Cyte all Medicare eligible testing is "bulk billed" - no charge to patient.
- If you are an overseas student and have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), 4Cyte will bill your insureance fund directly, no charge to student.
- If you are an overseas visitor and have Overseas Workers Health Cover or Overseas Visitor Heath Cover, 4Cyte will bill your insurance fund directly with no gap to be paid by the visitor.
No Appointments Necessary
No appointment is required for routine testing. Just turn up to the 4Cyte Pathology Collection Location with your Pathology Referral Form.
The only tests where an appointment is required are:
- Blood Pressure Monitoring (BP, ABP)
- Holter Monitoring (Holter, 24Hour Holter, etc)
- Venesection
Tests Requiring Special Preparation
Some tests require special preparation before your collection.
The most important note is to always follow your doctors instructions. The instructions below are general, but your doctor knows you
and your health, so the instructions from your doctor are the most important ones to follow.
For further information relating to specific tests, please see below.
Your doctor has asked you to fast for your testing?
You do NOT need to fast unless your doctor has specifically asked you to fast.
Fasting means that you abstain from:
- All foods
- All fluids (other than water)
- For a period of 8-14 hours prior to testing.
- Do not fast for more than 16 hours prior to your testing.
- Children under 12 should avoid fasting for more than 4-6 hours.
- Diabetics should not fast without prior medical advice.
- Continue to take any medication unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
Cardiac Monitoring
Click here to download a pdf with this information
You are required to make an appointment for some cardiac monitoring:
- Blood Pressure monitoring (often called BP or ABP testing)
- Cardiac Holter monitoring (often called 24Hr Holter Monitoring, or Holter Monitoring)
Click here to download a pdf with this information
Faeces Micro, Culture and Parasites
Click here to download a pdf with this information
Follow instructions carefully to ensure that your test results are accurate and reliable.
Your doctor or pathology collector will give you a brown top jar for specimen collection.
- Label the jar with your full name, date of birth and date and time of collection.
- Ensure that no urine comes into contact with the faeces sample.
- Pass urine into the toilet first if necessary, then place a clean plastic container (such as an ice cream container) into the toilet bowl to catch the faeces.
- Using the scoop inside the lid of the jar with the brown lid, collect an amount the size of an unshelled walnut, put into the jar and secure lid tightly to prevent leakage. Avoid cross threading.
- Deliver the specimen to your nearest 4Cyte Pathology collection center as soon as possible after collection.
Click here to download a pdf with this information
Glucose Tollerance Test (OGTT)
Patient preparation instructions
Maintain a normal diet with an adequate carbohydrate content and your usual physical activity at least 3 days prior to your test
Ensure you are fasting and have had nothing to eat or drink (other than plain water) overnight for 8 – 12 hours prior to having your test.
DO NOT fast for longer than 14 hours, as this may affect your results.
Click here to download a pdf with this information
General Test Information:
This test is used to diagnose Diabetes.
This is a fasting test and requires you to stay at the Collection Centre for just over 2 hours. During the test, you will have your blood taken 3 times over the 2 hours:
- Fasting blood sample after which a glucose drink is given. The glucose drink is to be consumed within 5 minutes.
- A second blood test will be collected after 1 hour of drinking the glucose drink followed by
- A third blood test after the second hour of drinking the glucose drink.
Patient preparation instructions
Maintain a normal diet with an adequate carbohydrate content and your usual physical activity at least 3 days prior to your test
Ensure you are fasting and have had nothing to eat or drink (other than plain water) overnight for 8 – 12 hours prior to having your test.
DO NOT fast for longer than 14 hours, as this may affect your results.
You may have water overnight to ensure good hydration.
Smoking, food or drinks are not permitted during the test.
Click here to download a pdf with this information
H. Pylori Breath Testing
2. Food and water
The test involves swallowing a capsule and then exhaling into a breath capture device and takes approximately 15 minutes. No appointment is necessary, and the following instructions are to be followed prior to taking the test:
1. Medications
- All Antibiotics or bismuth containg products (De-Nol, Helidac) must be stopped for 4 weeks prior to test.
- Cytoprotectives (Carafate, Sucralfate, Ulcyte) must be stopped for 2 weeks prior to test.
- Proton pump inhibitors (Acimax, Esomeprazole, Losec, Maxor, Nexium, Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Pariet, Probitor, Rabeprazole, Somac, Zoton) must be stopped for 1 week prior to test.
- Antacids and H2 Antagonists (Amfamox, Ausran, Cimehexal, Cimetidine, Famotidine, Hexal Ranitic, Magicul, Nizatidine, Pepcid, Pepcidine, Rani 2, Ranihexal, Ranitidine, Ranoxyl, Sigmetadine, Tagamet, Tazac, Zantac) must be stopped during fasting period.
2. Food and water
- Patient must fast for a minimum of 4 hours - recommended 6 hours or overnight. This includes no foods or intake of any form of liquid e.g. no tea, coffee or water.
- No smoking at least 8 hours prior to the test.
- Patients must not brush their teeth.
- If the patient is pregnant or breast feeding, please consult with your referring doctor.
- If the patient is a child, a C14 Urea breath test may be performed provided the child is able to swallow the capsule (The parent or guardian should provide this information). If the child is unable to swallow the capsule, please consult with your preferring doctor. DO NOT open capsule.
Semen Analysis
Semen specimens must be dropped off by the patient at a 4Cyte laboratory during business hours M-F.
Before the test:
- Obtain a sterile container from your doctor or 4Cyte Pathology Collection Centre.
- Abstain from ejaculation (intercourse, masturbation) for 2 to 7 days.
- The semen specimen should not be collected until 12 weeks after your operation, and after at least 20 ejaculations.
- Write the following details on the collection container - your given name and surname - date of birth - the time and date of sample collection.
- The specimen is obtained by masturbation into the sterile container provided.
- Do not use other containers, lubricants or a condom, as they may contain chemicals which can affect the test result.
- Collect the complete ejaculate - if the sample is incomplete write a note on the container and questionnaire below.
- Keep the specimen at body temperature. e.g. keep it close to your body, put it inside your inner jacket or shirt pocket.
- Deliver your sample, pathology request form and your completed collection/instruction form within one hour of specimen collection to the laboratory at:
- 1 Lucknow Road, North Ryde NSW, or
- 3/796 High Street Kew VIC, or
- 12/8 Metroplex Avenue, Murrarie, QLD
Urine Microscopy and Culture (UMC)
Click here to download a pdf with this information
Patient instructions for Mid-Stream Urine Collection Micro & Culture - Female
- Label urine container with your Full Name, Date of Birth, Date and Time of Collection
- Wash hands
- Remove the lid from the urine container, taking care not to touch the inside of the lid or the inside of the container.
- Place the lid of the container with the inside of the cap face up.
- Using water wipes separate the folds (labia) and with the water wipes provided, cleaning the area moving from front to back.
- Continue to hold the folds open and begin to pass urine into the toilet.
- Bring the urine container into the urine stream and collect a “midstream” specimen. Fill the container approximately 50% full.
- Finish urinating into the toilet. Secure the lid on the container firmly without cross threading to avoid leakage
- Deliver the sample to the Collection Centre as soon as possible. If delayed keep the sample refrigerated.
- Chlamydia/ Gonorrhea
Specimens must be collected from the first stream sample in a separate urine container.
Patient instructions for Mid-Stream Urine Collection Micro & Culture - Male
- Label urine container with your Full Name, Date of Birth, Date and Time of Collection.
- Wash hands.
- Remove the lid from the urine container, taking care not to touch the inside of the lid or the inside of the container.
- Place the lid of the container with the inside of the cap face up.
- Open the water wipe. Retract the foreskin (if present) and use the water wipe to clean the entire head of the penis.
- Begin to pass urine into the toilet.
- Bring the urine container into the urine stream and collect a “midstream” specimen. Fill the container approximately 50% full.
- Finish urinating into the toilet.
- Secure the lid on the container firmly without cross threading to avoid leakage.
- Deliver the sample to the collection Centre as soon as possible.
- If delayed keep the sample refrigerated.
Click here to download a pdf with this information
Venesection
What is a therapeutic venesection?
A therapeutic venesection is the same procedure as donating a unit of blood at Red Cross. It is therapeutic because it is part of the treatment for your condition and has been requested by your doctor. It is used to lower iron in your body if you have haemochromatosis or to reduce the “thickness” of your blood if you have polycythaemia.
Procedure.
The collector will ask you some health questions and obtain your written consent for the procedure. Your blood pressure will be measured. If there are any concerns about your health or your blood pressure, you will be referred back to your doctor. A needle is inserted into your vein. This is attached to a bag and the blood drains into this bag (up to 450mls). It usually takes 15 – 20 minutes.
Preparation.
Please have a nice big breakfast on the morning of your venesection. Have plenty of fluids (preferably water) at least one hour prior to your appointment. DO NOT FAST. Wear loose comfortable clothing so the collector can access the arm. Is the procedure safe?
Sometimes your blood pressure may fall for a short time while your body adjusts to the removal of the blood. This may cause dizziness or a feeling of anxiety or faintness. If this happens, inform the collector who will keep you lying down for a short time. Drinking fluids can help replace lost volume.
Other risks are bruising and bleeding at the site of the needle insertion. This is minimised by the application of pressure to the site once the needle is removed. Very uncommonly, there may be a risk of infection at the site or damage to the nerve next to the blood vessel.
After the procedure.
Leave the compression dressing in place for 30 minutes.
Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for 24 hours.
Resume drinking plenty of fluids for the rest of the day.
Inform your doctor if you have fever, bleeding or redness at the venesection site or if you are unwell in any way.
Click here to download a pdf with this information
What is a therapeutic venesection?
A therapeutic venesection is the same procedure as donating a unit of blood at Red Cross. It is therapeutic because it is part of the treatment for your condition and has been requested by your doctor. It is used to lower iron in your body if you have haemochromatosis or to reduce the “thickness” of your blood if you have polycythaemia.
Procedure.
The collector will ask you some health questions and obtain your written consent for the procedure. Your blood pressure will be measured. If there are any concerns about your health or your blood pressure, you will be referred back to your doctor. A needle is inserted into your vein. This is attached to a bag and the blood drains into this bag (up to 450mls). It usually takes 15 – 20 minutes.
Preparation.
Please have a nice big breakfast on the morning of your venesection. Have plenty of fluids (preferably water) at least one hour prior to your appointment. DO NOT FAST. Wear loose comfortable clothing so the collector can access the arm. Is the procedure safe?
Sometimes your blood pressure may fall for a short time while your body adjusts to the removal of the blood. This may cause dizziness or a feeling of anxiety or faintness. If this happens, inform the collector who will keep you lying down for a short time. Drinking fluids can help replace lost volume.
Other risks are bruising and bleeding at the site of the needle insertion. This is minimised by the application of pressure to the site once the needle is removed. Very uncommonly, there may be a risk of infection at the site or damage to the nerve next to the blood vessel.
After the procedure.
Leave the compression dressing in place for 30 minutes.
Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for 24 hours.
Resume drinking plenty of fluids for the rest of the day.
Inform your doctor if you have fever, bleeding or redness at the venesection site or if you are unwell in any way.
Click here to download a pdf with this information