Guide to reporting positive urine cultures
| Count | No. of isolates | Specimen type | Sensitivity required | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cfu, colony forming units; CSU, catheter specimens of urine; MSU, midstream specimens of urine; WCC, white blood cell count. | ||||
| >105 cfu/ml | 1 or 2 | MSU | Yes | Report with sensitivities |
| CSU | Yes | Report organism, suppress sensitivities unless appropriate clinical details, CSU comment | ||
| >2 | MSU and CSU | No | Report as contaminated specimen—repeat if clinically indicated | |
| 104–105 cfu/ml | 1–2 (not skin flora) | MSU and CSU | No | Report as “no significant growth”, unless the patient is immunocompromised, on relevant antibiotics, or has raised WCC (>50) |
| 1–2 (skin flora) | No | No significant growth | ||
| >2 | No | No significant growth | ||
| <104 cfu/ml | Any | MSU and CSU | No | If ≥ 100 WCC and no antibiotics stated or detected consider culture for fastidious organisms, etc |
| 1–2 | Yes | Immunocompromised or MSU and clear evidence of symptoms (lower limits of 102 cfu/ml for women with the urethral syndrome and 103 cfu/ml for men) | ||