CAP Pro Course - Microbiology - Urine and Body Fluid Cultures (2026 & 2027)

Author: Hallee Waye, BS, MLS(ASCP)CM
Reviewer: Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Identify appropriate specimen types, including what constitutes inadequate or unacceptable specimens, and list proper transport media and conditions necessary for urine and body fluid cultures.
  • Select proper media for plating urine and body fluid specimens, dependent upon the culture site, utilizing aseptic techniques.
  • Identify the source and incidence of the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures, including infectious organisms, fungi, mycobacteria, and viruses.
  • Determine the extent of workup required for the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures.
  • Describe the Gram stain morphology, required identification procedures, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing as appropriate for the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures.
  • Discuss the need for preliminary, interim (daily), and final result reporting in a timely manner appropriate to the site and pathogen isolated from urine and body fluid cultures.

Course Outline

  • Identify appropriate specimen types, including what constitutes inadequate or unacceptable specimens, and list proper transport media and conditions necessary for urine and body fluid cultures.
      • Defining Body Fluids and Related Terminology for Laboratory Submission
      • General Specimen Collection Criteria for Body Fluid and Urine Cultures
      • Appropriate Collection Criteria by Site
      • Appropriate Collection Criteria by Site, continued
      • Specific Rejection Criteria by Site
      • Transport Media and Transport Methods for Sterile Body Fluids and Urine
      • While working on the set-up bench in microbiology, a call from the floor asking for help ordering a body fluid culture is received. The nurse explains...
      • A urine specimen is submitted for bacterial culture four hours after collection. Which of the following scenarios would allow the specimen to be accep...
      • A requisition indicates that a specimen submitted for culture is abdominal/peritoneal fluid. What is another name for this type of specimen?
      • A patient is asked to provide a clean-catch, mid-stream urine specimen that will be cultured to diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI). The patient ...
  • Select proper media for plating urine and body fluid specimens, dependent upon the culture site, utilizing aseptic techniques.
      • Proper Media for Plating Specimens: Abdominal Fluid
      • Proper Media for Plating Specimens: Cerebrospinal Fluid and Pleural Fluid
      • Proper Media for Plating Specimens: Synovial Fluid and Urine
      • Proper Media for Plating Specimens: Pericardial Effusions
      • A peritoneal fluid with orders for an aerobic culture, an anaerobic culture, and a fungal culture is received in the lab. Which of the following media...
      • A pleural fluid arrives in the laboratory with orders for an aerobic culture with Gram stain and a mycobacterial culture with AFB smear. No organisms ...
      • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a febrile 25-year-old man with possible bacterial meningitis is taken to the laboratory for a stat Gram stain and cultu...
  • Identify the source and incidence of the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures, including infectious organisms, fungi, mycobacteria, and viruses.
      • Common Pathogens: Abdominal Fluid
      • Common Pathogens: Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
      • Common Pathogens: Pleural Fluid and Pericardial Fluid
      • Common Pathogens: Synovial Fluid
      • Common Pathogens: Urine
      • A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimen obtained from a lumbar puncture is submitted to the laboratory on a 3-day-old infant. Upon 24 hours of incubation...
      • A synovial fluid specimen is submitted from a patient who is experiencing septic arthritis in his right knee following a joint replacement. The physic...
      • Which of the following is most likely to be isolated from abdominal fluid?
      • Which of the following specimens would be the most appropriate to culture for viruses as the possible etiology?
      • Synovial fluid is collected from a patient suspected of having osteomyelitis. What is the most likely positive finding to expect when reading the Gram...
      • A 12-year-old boy is admitted to the hospital with signs of meningitis. The boy was at home when the symptoms began and was very healthy prior to the ...
  • Determine the extent of workup required for the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures.
      • Guidelines for Determination of Significant Organisms in a Urinary Tract Infection
      • Extent of Workup for Abdominal Fluid, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Pericardial Fluid, and Pleural Fluid
      • Significance of Isolates in Synovial Fluid
      • An orthopedic surgeon submitted five separate samples from a suspected case of chronic osteomyelitis that included synovial fluid and synovial tissue....
      • While analyzing an aerobic pleural fluid culture on day one, one white colony was observed on the blood agar plate. A Gram stain is performed, and gra...
      • A clean-catch urine specimen is plated for culture. Which colony count indicates the patient may have a urinary tract infection (UTI)?
  • Describe the Gram stain morphology, required identification procedures, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing as appropriate for the most frequently isolated pathogens from urine and body fluid cultures.
      • Characteristics of Selected Aerobic Gram-Positive Bacterial Pathogens in Sterile Body Fluids and Urine
      • Characteristics of Selected Aerobic Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogens in Sterile Body Fluids and Urine
      • Characteristics of Selected Anaerobic Bacterial Pathogens in Sterile Body Fluids and Urine
      • Characteristics of Selected Fungi in Sterile Body Fluids and Urine
      • A cerebrospinal fluid sample exhibits small gram-negative coccobacilli growing only on the chocolate agar. This indicates that the organism requires b...
      • A peritoneal fluid culture exhibits large colonies on the anaerobic blood agar plate after 48 hours of incubation. The image to the right depicts the ...
      • The organisms described are considered pathogenic when isolated in cultures of sterile body fluids. Which of the following is true of the gram-positiv...
      • A sample of ascites fluid from a 5-year-old boy with suspected primary peritonitis is sent to the laboratory. The direct Gram stain is shown in the to...
  • Discuss the need for preliminary, interim (daily), and final result reporting in a timely manner appropriate to the site and pathogen isolated from urine and body fluid cultures.
      • Preliminary, Interim (Daily), and Final Result Reporting for Sterile Body Fluids
      • Preliminary, Interim (Daily), and Final Result Reporting for Urine Cultures
      • Which culture types and retention times are correct for a peritoneal fluid specimen?
      • All of the statements regarding the reporting of urine cultures are correct, except:
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: This program is designed as an educational and training tool for MLS and MLT personnel, medical laboratory science students and interns, pathology residents, and practicing pathologists.
Author Information: Hallee Waye, BS, MLS(ASCP)CM, has over 10 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. She has clinical experience in blood bank, microbiology, chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, and coagulation. She currently works as a clinical microbiologist and MLS Program Director for the Parkview School of Medical Laboratory Science in Pueblo, CO. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Colorado State University, attended the Colorado Center for Medical Laboratory Science to obtain her professional certificate in medical laboratory science, and completed her master’s degree in clinical laboratory science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM, is a Lead Education Developer. She earned a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Xavier University. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education and has held program director and faculty positions in both MLT and MLS programs.

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