Specimen Requirements

Unless specimen is being collected to monitor effectiveness of antibiotic therapy, it must be collected prior to administration of antibiotics. Most antibiotics concentrate in urine.

Specimen source is required.

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Specimen Type: Catheterized urine

Container/Tube: Sterile urine container

Specimen Volume: 5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Avoid sending urine that has remained stagnant in catheter tubing for any length of time. Do not send catheter bag urine, and avoid sending urine from catheters that have been in place longer than 5 to 9 days.
2. Clean catheter with an alcohol sponge, puncture with sterile needle, and collect in sterile syringe.
3. Pour urine into a sterile container. Mix well.

4. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

5. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

6. Rejection criteria include delay in transport of >2 hours at ambient temperature or >24 hours refrigerated, unsterile or leaking container, or multiple specimens within a 24 hour period.

Specimen Type: Clean-catch, midstream urine

Container/Tube: Sterile urine container

Specimen Volume: 5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Patient should cleanse with moist towelettes, and then begin to urinate into toilet.

2. Follow instructions in Urine Collection in Special Instructions.

3. After first few teaspoons, place sterile container under stream of urine and collect rest of urine in container. Even 1/4 cup is an adequate specimen for test. 24-Hour urine collection is not acceptable.
4. After finishing, tighten cap on container securely and wash any spilled urine from outside of container.

5. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

6. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

7. Rejection criteria include delay in transport of >2 hours at ambient temperature or >24 hours refrigerated, unsterile or leaking container, or multiple specimens within a 24 hour period.

Specimen Type: Cystoscopy  urine

Container/Tube: Sterile urine container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Collection Instructions:

1. Following insertion of cystoscope, allow first portion of specimen to drain in collection pan, and then collect in sterile container.

2. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

3. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

4. Rejection criteria include delay in transport of >2 hours at ambient temperature or >24 hours refrigerated, unsterile or leaking container, or multiple specimens within a 24 hour period.

Specimen Type: Suprapubic/kidney urine
Container/Tube: Sterile urine container
Specimen Volume: 10-15 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Specimen source is required.
2. Be sure at least 4 to 6 hours has elapsed since last urination.
3. Clean suprapubic skin with iodine followed by alcohol.
4. Insert 22-gauge needle attached to a 20-mL syringe into skin at about a 30° angle to abdominal wall, immediately superior to symphysis in midline. (Infants may require a smaller syringe and needle.)
5. Aspirating as one penetrates, stop as urine is obtained and fill syringe with urine.
6. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.
7. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.
8. Rejection criteria include delay in transport of >2 hours at ambient temperature or >24 hours refrigerated, unsterile or leaking container, or multiple specimens in a 24 hour period.