Specimen Requirements

Preferred Collection Container: 

DM Hospital Locations: Sterile Cup
Pathology Laboratory Clients: BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Tube (Boric Acid Tube)

Collection Information: 

Clean catch mid-stream collection. First morning specimens yield highest bacterial counts from overnight incubation in the bladder, and are the best specimens.  Specimen source required,

Transport Information: 

Specimen collected in sterile containers with volumes >4.0 mL should be transferred to a BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Tube (Boric Acid Tube) and sent ambient. Sterile containers must be submitted within 2 hours at ambient temperature or within 24 hours if refrigerated.

Minimum Sample Volume: 

BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Tube (Boric Acid Tube): 4 mL. 
If less than 4 mL of urine is collected, usually from pediatric and geriatric patients or from a catheter, submit refrigerated in a sterile, screw cap container or tube. Do not submit low volume urine specimens in underfilled gray top tubes.

Remarks: 

If yeast is suspected then also order Culture, Yeast.
One specimen per patient per day is recommended. More than two specimens per patient per day will not be processed.

Unacceptable Conditions: 

Specimen in nonsterile container, <4.0 mL in a BD Vacutainer® C&S Preservative Tube (Boric Acid Tube), samples exceeding stability.

Stability Comments: 

Suprapubic or cystoscopy specimens are to be processed regardless of the time received.