Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Indwelling Catheter Specimen
2 mL of fresh urine from an indwelling catheter tube through sampling port as follows:
1. Avoid sending urine that has remained stagnant in catheter tubing for any length of time or from catheters that have been in place longer than 5 to 9 days.
2. Do not collect urine from drainage bag.
3. Clean sampling port with 70% alcohol.
4. Use a needle and syringe or other means to aseptically aspirate urine.
5. Label container with patient’s information, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
6. Send specimen refrigerated. Forward promptly.
Note:  1. Specimen collection method is required on request form for processing.
2. A minimum of 1 mL of specimen is required for routine and fungus cultures. A minimum of 10 mL of specimen is required for AFB culture.
3. Specimens should be added up to designated line on preservation tubes. Preserved specimens can be stored refrigerated or at ambient temperature for up to 48 hours.

Straight Catheter Specimen
2 mL of fresh urine from a straight catheter tube as follows:
1. Clean urethral area with soap and water.
2. Aseptically insert catheter into bladder following standard operating procedure.
3. Discard first 15 mL of urine.
4. Collect specimen from the mid-or later-flow.
5. Label container with patient’s information, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
6. Send specimen refrigerated. Forward promptly.
Note:  1. Specimen collection method is required on request form for processing.
2. A minimum of 1 mL of specimen is required for routine and fungus cultures. A minimum of 10 mL of specimen is required for AFB culture.
3. Specimens should be added up to designated line on preservation tubes. Preserved specimens can be stored refrigerated or at ambient temperature for up to 48 hours.

Midstream Specimen
2 mL of urine from a first-morning specimen collected as follows:

Males
1. Wash hands with soap and dry.
2. Foreskin must be completely retracted and glans penis is cleansed with soapy water. Surplus soap is removed with warm, sterile water.
3. Patient should void approximately 20 mL to 25 mL of urine into toilet and then pass a portion of midstream urine into a screw-capped, sterile container.
4. Label container with patient’s information, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
5. Send specimen refrigerated. Forward promptly.
Note:  1. Specimen collection method is required on request form for processing.
2. A minimum of 1 mL of specimen is required for routine and fungus cultures. A minimum of 10 mL of specimen is required for AFB culture.
3. Specimens should be added up to designated line on preservation tubes. Preserved specimens can be stored refrigerated or at ambient temperature for up to 48 hours.

Females
1. Wash hands with soap and dry.
2. If menstruating, insert a fresh tampon or use cotton to stop flow.
3. With 1 hand, spread labia and keep them continuously apart until urine is voided.
4. Taking a saturated soapy sponge, wash vulva well, passing from front to back. Discard sponge. While vulva is still spread, repeat the front to back wash with remaining sponges, discarding each as its use is finished. Patient should rinse with warm sterile water to eliminate the possibility of contaminating specimen with soap.
5. Patient should void approximately 20 mL to 25 mL of urine into toilet.
6. Collect the midstream portion of urine into a screw-capped, sterile container. Cup should be held in such a way that contact with legs, vulva, or clothing is avoided.
7. Label container with patient’s information, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
8. Send specimen refrigerated. Forward promptly.
Note:  1. Specimen collection method is required on request form for processing.
2. A minimum of 1 mL of specimen is required for routine and fungus cultures. A minimum of 10 mL of specimen is required for AFB culture.
3. Specimens should be added up to designated line on preservation tubes. Preserved specimens can be stored refrigerated or at ambient temperature for up to 48 hours.