Sample Requirements

Specimen: Urine

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

Preferred Vol: 12.0 mL fresh random urine

Minimum Vol:  2.0 mL

Notes: Specimen must be received in the Lab within two hours. If there will be a delay, keep the specimen refrigerated (up to 10 hours) 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.”

UA 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. The urinalysis includes the biochemical tests listed in the reference range and specific gravity.