This document discusses guidelines for interpreting urine cultures. It provides information on:
1. Risk factors for complicated urinary tract infections including indwelling catheters and diabetes.
2. Proper collection and transport of urine specimens to ensure accurate culture results.
3. Common and uncommon urinary pathogens including E. coli, Enterococcus, and Candida.
4. Interpretation of urine culture results based on colony forming unit counts, with over 105 CFUs having a 95% probability of true infection for symptomatic patients.
2. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF URINARY TRACT
INFECTION
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infection:
Bacterial or yeast infection in a
structurally and neurologically normal
urinary tract
• Complicated urinary tract infection:
Bacterial or yeast infection in a urinary
tract with functional or structural
abnormalities
4. URINARY TRACT SPECIMENS
• First-voided morning urine optimal (generally bacteria have
been proliferating in bladder urine for several hours)
• Midstream urine specimens (initially voided urine contains
urethral commensals)
• Indwelling catheters (freshly placed, urine aspirated by needle
inserted into catheter) (Foley catheter tips not acceptable)
• Straight catheter specimens
• Suprapubic aspirates (infants or children, recovery of
anaerobes)
Cystoscopic collection of urine
Contamination-free specimen
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5. • Urine collected in sterile
specimen container must
be processed within 2
hours, or refrigerated and
processed within 24
hours
• Urine collected in sterile
specimen container with
borate preservative
should be processed
within 24 hours (no
refrigeration required)
COLLECTION OF URINE SPECIMENS
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6. • Transport to lab as soon as
possible
• Urine should be cultured
within 2 hours or be
refrigerated for up to 24
hours
• Microorganisms grow very
rapidly in urine at room
temperature
• This could give a false positive
culture result
PROMPT TRANSPIRATION NEEDED
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7. SPECIMEN INOCULATIONS
• All cultures processed by
Semiquantitative method a loop of
standard dimension of approximately
known volume is inoculated into
selected culture plate
• In general a loop of SWG – 28 with a
diameter of 3.26 mm internal diameter
which can hold a drop of water or
urine 0.004 ml.
• After inoculation the culture plates are
incubated at 370c extending to > 18
hours are read
• The colony counts are made, as each
colony corropsdes to number of
viable bacteria per ml of urine
DR.T.V.RAO MD 712/15/2011
8. INOCULATION OF URINE
• Inoculation of urine for quantitative culture (colony forming
units→cfu’s) performed with a calibrated 0.001 mL and 0.01
mL plastic or wire loop
• Sheep blood agar (SBA) utilized for quantitative urine culture
• With 0.001 ml loop, 1 colony on SBA equivalent to 1,000 cfu’s
per mL of urine
• With 0.01 ml loop, 1 colony on SBA equivalent to 100 cfu’s per
mL of urine
• MacConkey agar utilized as selective differential agar for
gram-negative bacteria, Colistin nalidixic acid agar as
selective agar for gram-positive bacteria, and chocolate agar
for fastidious gram-negative bacteria (Haemophilus)
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11. • With 0.001 ml
loop, 1 colony on
SBA equivalent to
1,000 cfu’s per mL
of urine
• With 0.01 ml loop,
1 colony on SBA
equivalent to 100
cfu’s per mL of
urine
COUNTING THE COLONIES
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12. • A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at >105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic
for urinary tract
infection, 95%
probability of true
bacteriuria
INTERPRETATION OF URINE CULTURES:
GENERAL GUIDELINES
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13. • Significant bacteriuria in an
asymptomatic patient is 100,000
or more colonies per milliliter of
urine from a midstream, clean-
catch specimen; yet, a colony
count of 200 Escherichia coli per
ml may be significant in a
midstream male void or
catheterized female. About 95%
of all positive UTI cultures will
produce essentially pure cultures
if urine is collected carefully and
the media inoculated promptly.
WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT BACTERIURIA
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14. • A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at 104-105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic
for urinary tract
infection, 33%
probability of true
bacteriuria
WHAT CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT COUNT
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15. URINE CULTURES
Organisms/ml --- very important!
<10,000 (Rare)
• May indicate contamination
• Lab usually does not identify the organisms
• Generally not treated unless there is a single
organism and patient has S&S
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16. >100,000 organisms/ml
(Many)
• Usually indicates an
infection
• Patient most likely will have
S&S
• Most often will be treated
with antibiotic appropriate
for that organism
URINE CULTURES…
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17. • One isolate at >104:
Full ID and
Susceptibility
• One or two gram-
negative isolates at >105
and other isolates at
least 10X less: Full ID
and Susceptibility of
gram-negative isolates
CUMITECH GUIDELINES FOR
INTERPRETATION OF ROUTINE URINE CULTURES
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18. CUMITECH GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETATION OF
ROUTINE URINE CULTURES1
• One isolate at >104: Full ID and Susceptibility
• One or two gram-negative isolates at >105 and other
isolates at least 10X less: Full ID and Susceptibility of
gram-negative isolates
• Other patterns of isolates at >104: Presumptive ID
only
• Ignore mixed urethral flora at <104
1Clarridge, Johnson, Pezzlo, and Weissfeld, ASM Cumitech 2B,
November 1998.
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19. HOW TO REPORT URINE CULTURES:
CUMITECH RECOMMENDATIONS
• Negative urines (no growth)0.01 ml inoculum
Sterile or < 100 CFU/ml OR
• No growth of > 100 CFU/ml
• 0.001 ml inoculum Sterile or < 1000 CFU/ml OR
• No growth of > 1000 CFU/ml
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20. READING THE CULTURE PLATES
• A true infection in the absence of prior antibiotic therapy the number of
bacteria is likely to be at least 105 or more.
• Contaminated specimens present with colony counts <104, however even
less than 103
• On several occasions the colonies are diverse species
• Several studies prove counts >104 to be considered as presence of Urinary
tract infection with the supporting clinical history
• On some occasions more than one pathogen is isolated but should be
processed for all practical purposes
eg E.coli along with Streptococcus fecalis
On few occasions even counts 103 are proved
significant
DR.T.V.RAO MD 2012/15/2011
21. • A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at >105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic for
urinary tract infection,
95% probability of true
bacteriuria
• A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at 104-105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic for
urinary tract infection,
33% probability of true
bacteriuria
INTERPRETATION OF
ENTEROBACTERIACEAE
DR.T.V.RAO MD 2112/15/2011
22. • A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at >105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic for
urinary tract infection,
95% probability of true
bacteriuria
• A single species of
Enterobacteriaceae
recovered at 104-105
cfu’s/mL urine: with
patients symptomatic for
urinary tract infection,
33% probability of true
bacteriuria
INTERPRETATION OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE
DR.T.V.RAO MD 2212/15/2011
23. • Gram-positive,
fungal, and
fastidious
uropathogens often
present in lower
numbers (104-105
cfu’s/mL urine)
• Urethral
commensals
recovered at <104
cfu’s/mL urine
GRAM POSITIVES AND FUNGI THE COUNTS
MAY BE <105
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24. • Other patterns of
isolates at >104:
Presumptive ID
only
• Ignore mixed
urethral flora at
<104
• 1Clarridge, Johnson, Pezzlo, and
Weissfeld, ASM Cumitech 2B,
November 1998.
CUMITECH GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETATION OF
ROUTINE URINE CULTURES1
DR.T.V.RAO MD 2412/15/2011
25. • One or two isolates
at >102 to 105: Full
ID and Susceptibility
is essential before
confirmed as
uncommon isolates
• 1Clarridge, Johnson, Pezzlo, and Weissfeld,
ASM Cumitech 2B, November 1998.
CUMITECH GUIDELINES
FOR INTERPRETATION OF SPECIAL OR UNCOMMON URINE
CULTURES1
DR.T.V.RAO MD 2512/15/2011
26. • Negative culture
results showing no
bacterial growth are
available after 24
hours. Positive results
require 24-72 hours to
complete identification
of the number and
type of bacteria found
REPORTING OF NEGATIVE URINE CULTURES
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27. ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA
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• Presence of uropathogens by culture without signs
or symptoms of urinary tract infection
• Clinically significant (should be treated) with
preschool children (? vesicoureteral reflux,
congenital urinary tract anomaly), pregnant women,
and adults with obstructive uropathy
• Without clinical significance (should not be treated)
for adults in absence of urinary tract obstruction
28. WHEN TO DO AN ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY TESTING
ON URINE ISOLATE?
• Follow laboratory guidelines for susceptibility testing of isolates in
which a definitive ID and AST is recommended, according to Cumitech,
CMPH, MCM, IDSA, other guidelines. That would include “significant
CFU/ml” of :Enterobacteriaceae
• P. aeruginosa
• Enterococcus sp.
• S. aureus
• Significant CoNS, except S. saprophyticus
• Others, including yeast, upon request or if SOP’s have been set up in
accordance with CLSI Guidelines of Best practices
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29. • Created by Dr.T.V.Rao MD for ‘e’Learning”
resources for Microbiologists in the
Developing World
• Email
• doctortvrao@gmail.com
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