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Test Code UCUL Urine Culture

Performing Laboratory

YRMC, Microbiology

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

 

Cultures are held for 48 hours before a final report is issued unless an identifiable pathogen is recovered in less than 48 hours.

Specimen Requirements

Minimum Volume - 2.5 mL

Acceptable specimens

  • Clean catch midstream urine submitted in a sterile container, catheterized urine properly collected from the Foley catheter port,
  • Urine specimen obtained via straight catheter
  • Suprapubic aspiration submitted in a capped syringe

Specimen Transport Temperature

Specimens must arrive in the laboratory within 24 hours of collection.

 

Specimens should be transported to the lab immediately or refrigerated (or kept on wet ice) until transported to the laboratory.  There is no significant change in colony counts for urine specimens stored up to 24 hours.

 

Specimens that have not been properly transported and/or stored will not be cultured.

Reference Values

No growth in 2 days

Test Classification and CPT Coding

87086 – Culture, bacterial; quantitative colony count, urine

 

87088 – Culture with isolation and presumptive identification of each isolate, urine

 

Additional CPT codes and charges may be added.

Collection Instructions

Catheterized specimen

Straight Catheter:

1. Wash hands and apply gloves.

2. Cleanse the urinary meatus with the towelettes provided in the kits:

     a. Males - Wipe the head of the penis in a single motion with the first towelette. Repeat with the second

          towelette. If not circumcised, hold the foreskin back before cleansing.

     b. Females - Separate the labia. Wipe the inner labial folds front to back in a single motion with the first

          towelette.  Keep the labia separated.

3. Lubricate the catheter and direct it towards the cleansed area.

4. Discard the initial 15 to 30 ml of urine from the mouth of the catheter. Collect a mid or later flow urine sample

     into the vacutainer or the sterile collection cup.

5. Fingers should be kept away from the rim and inner surfaces of the urine container.

6. Replace the lid on the cup.

 

Foley Catheter:

1. Wash hands and apply gloves.

2. Pinch, do not clamp, the tubing below the aspiration port to create a temporary reservoir of urine.

3. Elevate the tubing slightly to allow the urine to pool at the aspiration port. Never collect urine directly from the

     urine collection bag.

4. Swab the large end of the Foley Catheter at the planned puncture site with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol.

5. By using either the vacutainer or syringe method, insert the needle into the port and withdraw the urine. Allow

     the vacutainer tubes to fill to capacity. If using a syringe, use a 20-22 gauge needle to withdraw the urine.

6. Do not puncture the silicone catheter or the collection bag.

 

Midstream “clean catch” specimen

A.  Patient preparation

 

For FEMALE patients:

     1. Wash hands thoroughly before beginning the procedure.

     2. Use towelettes to cleanse the perineal area.

          a. Separate the folds of the labia and wipe with towelette from front to back (anterior to posterior) on one

               side, then discard towelette.

          b. Using a second towelette, wipe the other side from front to back, then discard.

          c. Using a third towelette, wipe down the middle from front to back, then discard.

 

For MALE patients:

     1. Wash hands thoroughly before beginning the procedure. 

     2. If the patient is not circumcised, retract the foreskin on the penis to clean and hold it back during urination.

     3. Using a circular motion, clean the head of the penis with a towelette. Discard the towelette.

 

B.  Urination should begin, passing the first portion into the bedpan, urinal, or toilet.

C.  After the flow of urine has started, the urine specimen container should be placed under the patient

     collecting the midportion (midstream “clean catch”) without contaminating the container.

D. Any excess urine can pass into the bedpan, urinal, or toilet.

E. Cover the urine container immediately with the lid being careful not to touch the inside of the container or the

     inside of the lid.

 

Suprapubic aspiration

Urine  is collected by external introduction of a needle into the bladder.

Methodology

Culture – colony count and conventional aerobic culture

Loinc Code

630-4