- Test Name:
- Urine culture, routine (Edmonton/Central/North)
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Ordering Information:
- Urine culture, clean catch, midstream
- Organism(s)/Disease(s):
-
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Body Source(s):
-
Urine
Urine, clean catch
Urine, midstream (MSU)
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Clinical Prerequisite(s):
-
Provision of relevant clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result
- State specimen source - Specify: Midstream urine
- State current/proposed antibiotic therapy and start date
- Provide relevant clinical history. State symptoms, signs, and risk factors for UTI
- Provide any antimicrobial allergies
The diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is CLINICAL, based on symptoms and signs, NOT laboratory testing. Urine should be sent for culture only AFTER there is a strong clinical suspicion of UTI, to find the causative bacterium and its antibiotic susceptibilities.
The role of urine culture is to guide the selection of antibiotic therapy
Urine MUST be collected BEFORE starting antibiotics
- Collection Device/Tube Type:
-
BD Vacutainer (blue-top) urine culture collection cup
BD Vacutainer (grey-top) preservation tube
- Specimen Requirement(s):
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1. For family physicians and outpatient clinics:
· Patients should be sent to any outpatient laboratory or APL Patient Service Center for optimal specimen collection
2. For hospital, continuing care facilities, and home collections by healthcare workers:
· Refer to BD Vacutainer® Urine Collection Kit video
· Transfer urine to grey-top tube IMMEDIATELY after collection
· Submit grey-top tube only. Dispose of blue transfer device according your facility's policy
3. For home collections by patient/caregiver:
· Collect specimen using appropriate instructions
· Place in a sterile orange top container
· Refrigerate specimen if not being delivered directly to the lab after collection
· Specimen should be delivered to any outpatient laboratory or an APL Patient Service Center within 2 hours
- Collection Instructions:
-
- Preferably, the specimen should be collected 2-4 hours after the last void. This will increase the chances of detecting the pathogen
- Collection procedure should minimize contamination with perineal and distal urethral flora
Collection Instructions - Routine Urine Culture:
• Female
• Male - Handling and Storage:
-
Room temperature
- Handling/Storage Comments:
- Deliver to the laboratory within 2 hours to expedite the result and preserve specimen integrity
- Rejection Criteria:
-
- Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen/requisition
- More than 1 specimen/collection method/day
- Pooled 24-hour urine collection
- Leaking container
- Underfilled or overfilled grey-top preservative tubes
- Expired preservative tubes
- Urinalysis tubes
- Unpreserved urine specimens (not in preservative tubes)
- Turnaround Times
- See Microbiology Information»
- Comments:
-
As per current GBS screening guidelines, a urine culture that is negative for GBS during pregnancy is not a substitute for a vaginal/rectal swab for GBS screening at 35 – 37 weeks gestation.
Women who have GBS isolated from their urine at ANY time during pregnancy should undergo intrapartum prophylaxis. Such findings denote a higher burden of GBS carriage in the mother. In these cases ONLY, a third trimester vaginal/rectal screen is NOT necessary.
Contact the Microbiologist on Call for any concerns regarding culture results
Phone: 780-451-3702
Toll free: 1-800-661-9876 - Last Reviewed:
- 07 May 2024
