- Test Name:
- Urine culture, condom catheter (Edmonton/Central/North)
- Organism(s)/Disease(s):
-
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Body Source(s):
-
Condom catheter
-
Clinical Prerequisite(s):
-
Provision of relevant clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result
- State specimen source - Specify: Condom catheter specimen
- State current/proposed antibiotic therapy and start date
- Provide relevant clinical history. State symptoms, signs, and risk factors for UTI
- State if fluids have been pushed for 24 hours before sending urine
- Provide any antimicrobial allergies
If the patient is unable to give a clean-catch midstream specimen for culture, a condom catheter can be used to collect urine. These specimens are prone to contamination with perineal flora. Collection should be performed by a trained healthcare worker or caregiver, and instructions must be followed to minimize contamination with perineal flora.
A condom catheter is rolled onto the outside of the penis, allowing urine to be drained into a catheter bag. It is a non-invasive alternative to inserting an indwelling urethral or an in/out catheter, for drainage of the bladder and for collection of urine for culture. For urine culture, a fresh catheter should be applied, AFTER first cleaning the penile skin. Urine must be collected from the bag immediately after the first void.
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
- Collection Instructions:
-
1. For hospital, continuing care facilities, and home collection by healthcare workers:
If possible, wait for 2-4 hours after the patient has last voided before collecting a specimen. This increase the chance of detecting the pathogen. Follow the collection procedure below to minimize contamination with perineal flora
1.
2.
Wash your hands well with soap and water
3.
Wash penis well with soap and water. Dry skin well
4.
Wash your hands well with soap and water. Dry well. Wear sterile gloves
5.
Roll the condom catheter onto the penis and secure it in place
6.
Attach the catheter to a collecting bag. Secure the bag in place
7.
Remove the catheter and bag IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRST VOID. Do NOT leave urine in the bag since bacteria will increase in numbers after 20 minutes, giving inaccurate results
8.
Remove at least 30 mL of urine from the bag and place in the BD collection cup (blue-top). Close the lid
9.
Transfer urine into grey-top tube immediately
10.
Submit grey-top tube only. Dispose of blue transfer device according to your facility's policy
2. For home collection by patient/caregiver:
- Collect specimen using appropriate instructions
- Place in sterile orange-top container
- Refrigerate specimen if not being delivered directly to lab after collection
- Specimen should be delivered to any outpatient laboratory or APL Patient Service Center within 2 hours - Handling/Storage Comments:
-
Urine submitted in GREY-TOP tubes can be stored and transported at room temperature.
Delivery to the laboratory should be as soon as possible (or within 2 hours) to expedite the result and the initiation of therapy.
- 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 specimen (not in preservative tube)
- Turnaround Times
- See Microbiology Information»
- Comments:
-
Contact Microbiologist on Call for any concerns regarding culture results
Phone: 780-451-3702
Toll free: 1-800-661-9876 - Last Reviewed:
- 04 November 2021
