Sample Requirements

Specimen: Urine

Container(s): Sterile, screw-capped container preferred. Clean container also acceptable.

Preferred Vol:  1.0 mL

Minimum Vol: 0.5 mL

Notes: Specimen must be received in the Lab within two hours. If there will be a delay, keep the specimen refrigerated and transport on ice. Do not use cotton balls or gauze to collect specimen. Do not squeeze urine from diapers.

For bagged urines: Aspirate urine sample from bag using a sterile needleless syringe and place in sterile specimen cup before sending to the lab.

For non-sterile containers: Urines collected in non-sterile containers will not be sent for culture. They will have the following comment appended: “Urine collected into a non-sterile container. Results may be affected due to unknown interferents, and sample is unsuitable for culture. For future collections please collect urine into a sterile specimen cup.”

Testing cannot be performed off 24 hour urine collections.

Acceptable collection methods: bagged, bladder tap, bladder wash, clean catch, cystoscopy, direct catheter, foley catheter, lleal loop, indwelling catheter, kidney, midstream void, nephrostomy, suprapubic aspirate, ureter.