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Culture, Urine
Test CodeCULTURE,URINE
Alias/See Also
Urine culture
Includes
Urine Culture with colony count
Preferred Specimen
Clean catch midstream urine.
Other preferred specimens may include Indwelling catheter, straight catheter, suprapubic aspirate.
Urine may be collected and aliquoted into BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Urine Tubes.
Other preferred specimens may include Indwelling catheter, straight catheter, suprapubic aspirate.
Urine may be collected and aliquoted into BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Urine Tubes.
Minimum Volume
1.0 mls
Instructions
Specimen collection:
Clean catch midstream urine collection(preferred):
Use cleansing towelettes to wipe/clean the voiding area.
Void urine into sterile leakproof container midstream by moving the container into the path of the already voiding urine, without halting or restarting the urinary stream.
Indwelling catheter urine
Clean the catheter collection port with a 80% alcohol swab.
Using a needle and syringe, collect urine through the catheter port or directly into a urine culture vacutainer tube. Do not send urine obtained from a catheter bag.
Aspirate the urine and place it in a sterile container.
Straight catheter urine
Clean urethral opening with cleansing towelettes and rinse with sterile water
Using aseptic technique pass a catheter into the bladder.
Collect the initial 15-30 mL of urine and discard.
Collect the next flow of urine for culture in a sterile container.
Suprapubic aspirate
Bladder should be full and palpable before aspiration
Shave and disinfect the skin over the bladder with 70% alcohol
Make a small lancet wound through the epidermis above the pubic symphysis
Aspirate using a needle and syringe and place urine in a sterile container.
Clean catch midstream urine collection(preferred):
Use cleansing towelettes to wipe/clean the voiding area.
Void urine into sterile leakproof container midstream by moving the container into the path of the already voiding urine, without halting or restarting the urinary stream.
Indwelling catheter urine
Clean the catheter collection port with a 80% alcohol swab.
Using a needle and syringe, collect urine through the catheter port or directly into a urine culture vacutainer tube. Do not send urine obtained from a catheter bag.
Aspirate the urine and place it in a sterile container.
Straight catheter urine
Clean urethral opening with cleansing towelettes and rinse with sterile water
Using aseptic technique pass a catheter into the bladder.
Collect the initial 15-30 mL of urine and discard.
Collect the next flow of urine for culture in a sterile container.
Suprapubic aspirate
Bladder should be full and palpable before aspiration
Shave and disinfect the skin over the bladder with 70% alcohol
Make a small lancet wound through the epidermis above the pubic symphysis
Aspirate using a needle and syringe and place urine in a sterile container.
Transport Temperature
Room Temperature <2 hours
Refrigerated (2-8C): ≤ 24 hours
Refrigerated (2-8C): ≤ 24 hours
Specimen Stability
Room Temperature <2 hours
Refrigerated (2-8C): ≤ 24 hours
Room Temperature in <48 hours if in Gray top BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Urine Tubes
Refrigerated (2-8C): ≤ 24 hours
Room Temperature in <48 hours if in Gray top BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Urine Tubes
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Leaking specimens, swabs, specimens from catheter bags.
24 hour urine collections.
24 hour urine collections.
Setup Schedule
Daily
Report Available
TAT
1-2 days (after receiving in microbiology laboratory).
1-2 days (after receiving in microbiology laboratory).
Reference Range
No Growth on Culture
Performing Laboratory
Test performed in the West Roxbury Microbiology Laboratory
Contact: Scott Connolly 857-203-5954
Last Updated: May 14, 2026
