Advanced Diagnostic Laboratories

Collect

Clean catch: Sterile screw-cap cup or B-D Vacutainer (grey top)
Straight catheter: Sterile screw-cap cup or tube, B-D Vacutainer (grey top)
Suprapubic aspirate: Anaerobic transport system or capped syringe without needle.
Preferred: B-D Vacutainer (grey top)

Patient Prep

The method of collection and any current antibiotic therapy must be noted on the
requisition.
Obtain early-morning specimens whenever possible because of increased
bacterial counts after overnight incubation in the bladder.
Do not force fluid intake in order to have the patient void urine. Excessive fluid
intake will dilute the urine and may decrease the colony count or result in a false-negative
culture.
Collect three consecutive early-morning specimens from asymptomatic patients.
Instruct patients on clean catch procedure
Females should use a packaged, moist towel to clean the vulva and perianal areas starting from front to back. Repeat with a second moist towel.
Females should then spread their labia with one hand and start urinating into the toilet. With the other hand, they should put the urine container under the genital area to catch the stream of urine without touching any skin.
Males should retract the foreskin from the penis if necessary and use the packaged towel to clean the penis from the tip to the base. Repeat with second towel.
Males should retract the foreskin if necessary with one hand and start urinating into the toilet. Then, position the urine container with the other hand to catch the stream without touching any skin.

Storage Transport Temp

Refrigerated. Transport time: preferably less than one hour and no greater than two.

Urine may be stored up to 24 hours at 4°C.

Stability

2 days in gray top; 2 hours in sterile cup

Notes

Criteria for Rejection:
Unpreserved urine specimens held unrefrigerated (2-8°C) for 2 or more hours
Specimens in non-sterile or faulty containers
Clean catch or catheterized urine specimens for anaerobic culture
Foley catheter tip
Urine collected in a urinal or bedpan
Urine collected in catheter bag
Urine collected as part of a 24-hour collection

Performed

7 days a week

Methodology

Conventional Culture

Reported

2 days

Department

Microbiology Lab

Synonyms

URINE, Urine culture, culture;URINE

Reference Interval

By Report

CPT Code

87086