![]() ![]() Older children and adults who are able to do so can simply provide a “voided” urine specimen: that is, they pee in a cup. For infants, young children and others who are not able to urinate directly into a specimen container (for example, people who have a neurogenic bladder), urine can be collected using a Foley catheter, which is inserted through the urethra into the bladder this method also limits contamination. A suprapubic aspirate, in which a needle is inserted directly through thoroughly cleansed skin into the bladder, is the most effective way to avoid the risk of urogenital contamination, but this method is relatively invasive and rarely used. The bladder itself is generally considered a sterile environment (although, as we will discuss later, that isn’t always the case), but the external genitalia are colonized by commensal bacteria that can contaminate urine samples and ultimately grow in culture. One of the most important variables in the process of culturing urine is the method of collection. But what exactly happens to that urine, and the organisms that may grow from it, between the time it leaves the bladder and the time the report appears in the medical record? From the Bladder To the Cup To the Bench If you’re a clinician, you’re probably familiar with the process of requesting urine samples in patients with UTI symptoms, and equally familiar with receiving and acting on the results. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) include infections restricted to the bladder (cystitis), which are extremely common in women and may cause pain with urination, as well as more serious infections that also involve the kidneys (pyelonephritis). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |