Cancer Diagnosis Program | Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch

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Outpatient urine culture: does collection technique matter?

Author(s): Lifshitz E, Kramer L

Publication: Arch Intern Med, 2000, Vol. 160, Page 2537-40

PubMed ID: 10979067 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   This study investigated the effects of collecting midstream urine and perineal cleaning with or without the use of a tampon on contamination of urine from 242 women with symptoms of a UTI. The 242 women were selected on the basis of having symptoms of UTI and were excluded if taking antibiotics, they had undergone urethral instrumentation in the past 7 days, or had a urologic abnormality. Patients were randomly assigned to urinate in a clean non-sterile container with no precautions (77 patients) or to obtain a midstream urine specimen after spreading the labia and cleaning with a wipe containing witch hazel, benzalkoinum chloride, lanolin, and methyl p-hydroybenzoate after insertion of a vaginal tampon (81 patients) or without use of a tampon (84 patients). Urine was transferred into urine transport vessels containing boric acid and sodium formate within 5 minutes of collection and cultured within 24 h. Cultures were classified as no growth, mixed growth (2 or more organisms), contaminated (mixed growth or <10⁴ colonies per mL of organisms typically found on skin), or pure growth (growth of a single pathogenic organism).

   Summary of Findings:

   The contamination rates were comparable in urine collected with no precautions (29%), in midstream urine collected after perineal cleaning (32%), and in midstream urine collected after perineal cleaning and insertion of a tampon (31%). Similarly, no growth was found in a comparable percentage of urine collected with no precautions (14%), midstream urine collected after perineal cleaning (18%), and in midstream urine collected after perineal cleaning and insertion of a tampon (12%). Further, colony counts were not affected by cleaning with pure growth culture of more than >10⁴ colonies per mL occurring in 77.3% of specimens obtained without precautions and 79.8% of midstream urine obtained after perineal cleaning.

   Biospecimens

   • Bodily Fluid - Urine

   Preservative Types

   • Other Preservative

   Diagnoses:

   • Other diagnoses

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   Cell count/volume	Microbiological assay

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Biospecimen Acquisition	Method of fluid acquisition	Different urine collection procedures compared Voided urine (spot collection) Collection site preparation methods compared

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