Mycoplasma hominis/Ureaplasma Culture

UREAM

871

Urogenital (vaginal, cervical, urethral swabs or secretions) collected in V-C-M medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent (UTM) container

1 mL or 1 swab

Urine • Sterile body fluids • Tissue • Wounds (swab) • Respiratory (sputum, bronchial washing, tracheobronchial secretions, bronchial alveolar lavage, nasopharyngeal or throat swabs) collected in a VCM medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent (UTM) container (see Instructions)

Ship on dry ice.

Urine: Client should centrifuge urine at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes. Suspend sediment in VCM or equivalent transport media. If the specimen is not centrifuged, submit a 1:1 volume of urine in VCM or equivalent transport media.

Submit a 1:1 volume of sterile body fluids, tissue, respiratory (sputum, bronchial washing, tracheobronchial secretions, bronchial alveolar lavage) in VCM or equivalent transport media.
Respiratory samples are only acceptable from children under 1 year old.

Note: Do not use M4RT; the room temperature formula cannot be used for mycoplasma.

Frozen -70° C on dry ice

Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 48 hours
Frozen -20° C: Unacceptable
Frozen -70° C: 30 days

Specimens collected on wooden shafted swabs, or cotton swabs • Specimen received in expired transport medium • Tissue specimen in formalin • Urine containing any preservatives • Specimens received in M4RT transport medium • Raw specimens • Specimen collected in molecular transport medium

Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis are primarily associated with genital tract colonization and disease in adults and respiratory tract colonization and disease in newborns. Though controversial, these organisms have been associated with endometritis, chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, post-partum infections, and infertility. Of particular concern is the causal relationship between central nervous system infections in the premature newborn and U. urealyticum.