LAB239
CURINE

UCHealth IP orders must be placed through the Epic Urine Culture Wizard.

Preferred: 4 mL urine in a Grey Top (Min: 3 mL).
Acceptable: 3–4 mL urine in a Clear Top, Sterile Container, or capped syringe w/ needle removed (Min: 1 mL).

• Urine, Clean catch
• Urine, Indwelling cath (IUC)
• Urine, Single cath
• Urine, Suprapubic cath/aspirate

• Urine, Nephrostomy (order LAB269 BF Aerobic Culture & LAB3352 BF Anaerobic Culture)
• Urine, Ileal conduit/urostomy (order LAB3274 Aerobic Culture)

• Frozen urine.
• Urine in a Grey Top (boric acid) filled to less than the minimum fill line.
• 24-hour urine collection.
• Urine from a catheter bag.
• Urine in preservative other than Grey Top (boric acid).
• Urine contaminated with stool.
• Urine not properly identified, incorrect container, insufficient volume, or past stability.
  

Internal: ASAP ambient*
Offsite: Refrigerated

*Urine held at ambient temperature for >30 minutes supports the growth of both pathogens and contaminants, leading to potentially inaccurate colony counts.

Unpreserved (Sterile, no additive container):
Room Temp: 2 hours
Refrigerated: 24 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Preserved (Grey Top):
Room Temp: Inpatient 24 hours; Outpatient 48 hours
Refrigerated: Inpatient 24 hours; Outpatient 48 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Specify urine source on order or requisition. Indicate current antibiotic therapy.

• Gram stain is performed by request only.
• Identification and susceptibility tests are billed separately from culture.
• Completed cultures are held for 7 days.

Identification and susceptibility tests are billed separately from culture.

LAB239
CURINE

UCHealth IP orders must be placed through the Epic Urine Culture Wizard.