Chapter 13: Diagnostic tests
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Post‐procedural considerations
Immediate care
Urine is a very good culture medium so any bacteria present at the time of collection will continue to multiply in the specimen container. Rapid transport or special measures to ensure preservation of the sample are essential for laboratory diagnosis. The specimens should be transported and processed within 4 hours (PHE [190]). Therefore, specimens should be processed immediately as delays of more than 2 hours at room temperature between collection and examination will yield unreliable results, suggesting falsely raised bacteriuria. If a delay occurs, the sample should be stored in a designated sample refrigerator (Higgins [84]).
Where delays in processing are unavoidable, specimens should be refrigerated at 4°C; alternatively, a boric acid preservative, which holds the bacterial population steady for 48–96 hours, should be utilized. Facilities with semi‐automated urine analysers should ensure that they have been validated and follow the manufacturer's and local guidance (PHE [190]).
