Culture, Routine Urine

For Specimen Integrity during Extreme Weather see the “Lockbox Usage in Extreme Weather” document at the top of this page.

CULURN

395;
Urine Routine Culture;
UC;
Urine C&S;(comment: If specimen submitted in Gray Top Tube transport container);
Urine Bac Culture;
Urine CX & Sensitivity;
Urine Culture

Urine obtained by clean catch, catheterization or suprapubic aspiration.  (minimum 5.0 mL) 

3 mL

Collect urine in a sterile cup.
Place specimen in urine transport with preservative (Urine Culture Transport Kit BD Grey Cap) immediately (within one hour) it needs a minimum of 3 mL urine -- there is a min fill line on the tube.

Urine Culture Transport Kit BD (Grey Cap)

Room Temperature=Urine transport tube.

Room Temperature = 2 Days in urine culture transport medium. 1 hour if unpreserved and not refrigerated.
Refrigerated = 2 days if preserved, 24 hours if unpreserved
Frozen = unacceptable

Unrefrigerated specimens that have not been preserved.  Frozen specimen.

Sunday - Saturday
MB

4 days

This culture is designed to quantitate the growth of significant bacteria when collected by the Clean Catch Guidelines or from indwelling catheters.  Quantitative culturing of urine is an established tool to differentiate significant bacteruria from contamination introduced during voiding. This test has a reference range of less than 1,000 bacteria per mL. More than 95% of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are attributed to a single organism. Infecting organisms are usually present at greater that 100,000 per mL, but a lower density may be clinically important. In cases of UTI where more than one organism is present, the predominant organism is usually significant and others are probably urethral or collection contaminants. When multiple organisms are isolated from patients with indwelling catheters, UTI is doubtful and colonization likely.