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Definition
A clean catch is an aseptic method of obtaining a urine sample to
be tested. This can help identify organisms that cause infection that may be
present in urine.
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Alternative
names
urine collection (clean catch); culture - urine (clean catch);
clean catch urine specimen; collecting a urine specimen
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How the test is
performed
Child or adult:
Collect a "clean-catch" ("midstream") urine sample. To obtain a clean-catch
sample, men or boys should wipe clean the head of the penis. Women or girls
need to wash the area between the lips of the vagina with soapy water and
rinse well. As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the
toilet bowl (this clears the urethra of contaminants). Then, in a clean
container, catch about 1 to 2 ounces of urine and remove the container from
the urine stream. Give the container to the health care provider or
assistant.
Infant:
Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a
plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant.
For males, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive
attached to the skin. For females, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a
diaper over the infant (bag and all). Check your baby frequently and remove
the bag after the infant has urinated into it. For active infants, this
procedure may take a couple of attempts--lively infants can displace the
bag, causing an inability to obtain the specimen. The urine is drained into
a container for transport back to the health care provider.
A dipstick test may be used to detect some chemicals or bacteria in the
urine. Move the dipstick into the urine stream directly before or after you
collect the sample in the container. This can help detect nitrites (the
result of bacteria changes on nitrate) or leukocytes (white blood cells) in
the urine.
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How to prepare for the test
A specimen container and instructions on cleansing and collection
will be provided. Inform the health care provider if you are using, or have
recently used, antibiotics.
If the collection is being taken from an infant, a couple of extra
collection bags may be necessary.
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How the test will
feel
The test involves only normal urination, and there is no
discomfort.
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Risks
There are no risks.
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Why is the test done
The clean-catch method is used to avoid contaminating the urine
sample with bacteria that are normally present in the urethra and appear in
a voided urine sample. It is used for a routine urinalysis, a urine culture,
or other urine tests that require uncontaminated urine for accurate results.
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Normal values
Normal values depend on the specific test. Results may be reported as "no
growth" indicating an absence of infection.
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What abnormal results mean
A "positive" test indicates growth of organisms, usually indicating a
urinary tract infection or bladder infection.
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Costs
There is no cost for collecting the urine, only for individual tests. A urinary
tract infection test is typically $35 to $45
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Special Considerations
This is the most common method used to collect urine.
False readings can result from blood in the urine, ingestion of a urinary anesthetic drug
(phenazopyridine), certain antibiotics, and large doses of vitamin C.
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