Is There a Difference in the Contamination Rates of Urine Samples Obtained by Bladder Catheterization and Clean-Catch...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Clinical Microbiology
• Urology

Background:

• Accurate urine culture results are crucial for diagnosing urinary tract infections in young children.
• Both transurethral catheterization and clean-catch methods are used for urine sample collection in this age group.
• Understanding contamination rates associated with each method is vital for appropriate clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the contamination rates of urine samples collected via transurethral catheterization versus the clean-catch method in preschool-aged children (2-5 years).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review of 460 preschool children who underwent urine culture in an emergency department setting.
• Urine samples were categorized based on collection method: transurethral catheterization or clean-catch.
• Bacterial colony counts were analyzed to determine contamination status (positive, negative, or contaminated).

Main Results:

• Contamination rates were significantly higher in the clean-catch group (36.76%) compared to the transurethral catheterization group (7.5%) (P < 0.0001).
• Female children showed a higher contamination rate (36.3%) with the clean-catch method than males (9.7%).
• No age-related associations with contamination rates were observed within either collection method or sex.

Conclusions:

• Transurethral catheterization is associated with lower urine culture contamination rates than the clean-catch method in preschool-aged children.
• The clean-catch method's higher contamination rate, particularly in females, may impact the accuracy of urine culture diagnostics in this population.
• Further investigation into sample collection techniques is warranted to optimize diagnostic yield in pediatric urinary tract infection evaluations.