| Ordering Code | 626 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | Urine Culture |
| Alias | UTI Culture Urine Colony Count |
| Preferred Specimen | Urine (clean-catch, midstream) |
| Preferred Container | BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray) |
| Other Specimen/Container | Urine in sterile container; Special collections (cytoscopy, ileal conduit, nephrostomy, suprapubic aspirate) |
| Optimum Volume | Urine in Sterile Container: 10 mL Urine in BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray): 4.5 mL BD Urine Culture Transport tube must be filled to the minimum draw line indicated on the tube label. |
| Collection Instructions | Mid-stream, clean catch, first morning specimen or catheterized specimens are preferred. Indicate method of collection on requisition. Note: specially collected urines (Cystoscopic and Suprapubic collections) are handled differently from clean catch collected specimens. |
| Handling Instructions | Urine in Sterile Container: Refrigerate specimen immediately Urine in BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray): Transfer 3.0-4.0 mL of specimen to the 13x75 mm BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray) within 2 hours of specimen collection. If less than 3.5 mL of specimen is available, DO NOT use the BD Transport tube. If transfer cannot occur within 2 hours, refrigerate specimen. |
| Transport Requirements | Urine in Sterile Container: Oahu: Refrigerated Airline: Refrigerated Urine in BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray): Oahu: Ambient Airline: Ambient |
| Specimen Stability | Urine in Sterile Container: Ambient: 2 Hours Refrigerated: 1 Day Urine in BD Urine Culture Transport Tube (Gray): Ambient: 2 Days Refrigerated: 2 Days |
| Rejection Criteria | External collection device (e.g. Purewick), Pooled specimen, Non-Clean Catch, Peds and other bagged specimens, Condom catheter, Frozen, Urine received ambient and NOT in BD Urine Culture Transport Tube, Specimen older than stability limits, Foley catheter tip, Non-sterile container |
| Avail. Stat | NO |
| Analytic Time | Up to 2 Days Preliminary report at 24 hours. Additional time is required for identification &/or susceptibility if culture is significantly positive. |
| Methodology | Visual examination for bacterial growth on non-selective and selective media, including colony count. |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of October 25, 2025.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collection Method: | ALL | See report. | |||||||
| Report Status: | ALL | See report. | |||||||
| Culture | ALL | NO GROWTH | NO GROWTH |
