Introduction: Preeclampsia occurs in approximately 5-12% of pregnancies, and its etiology remains unknown. The most prevalent quantitative assessment of the amount of protein excreted in the urine for the diagnosis of preeclampsia is a 24-hour urine collection. However, the collection and analysis of 24-hour urine specimens is cumbersome and time consuming for both the patient and the laboratory.
Objective: This study was undertaken to validate the prediction of 24-hour urine protein excretion by a single voided urine protein-to-creatinine (p:c) ratio in a hospitalized pregnant population at our institution.
 
Method: This study was an analytical observation study investigation and was performed on 30 hospitalized pregrant women who were diagnosed as preeclampsia at 22 Bahman Hospital from 1382-1383. Pregnant patients who were admitted to the antepartum unit at 22-Bahman Hospital, and who were undergoing a 24-hour urine collection for the quantitation of proteinuria, were recruited. A single urine specimen was obtained after the completion of 24- hour urine collection and analyzed for the protein- to- creatinine ratio. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the correlation between the 24-hour urine protein excretion and spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio. The strength of the association was assessed with the Pearson correlation coefficient.
 
The correlation of the 24-hour urine protein and protein-to-creatinine ratio with other variables (including maternal age, gestational age, parity, blood pressure and weight) were asssessed. Multiple linear regression was used to detect any confonuding effects.
 
Results: Thirty patients completed the study. There was a significant correlation between the 24-hour urine protein and the protein-to-creatinine ratio (r=85% , p<0/001). The associations of maternal age, gestational age, weight, parity and blood pressure at the time of collection with protein-to-creatinine ratio and 24- hour urine protein were weak and not significant. On the basis of multiple linear regression, there was no confunding effect of maternal age, gestational age, parity, weight and blood pressure.