A patient with an indwelling urinary catheter is suspected of UTI. How should the urine specimen for culture be collected?

• A. Collect from the urine bag after disconnecting catheter
• B. Wipe the self-sealing aspiration port with antiseptic and aspirate urine with a sterile needle and syringe
• C. Open the catheter tubing and collect directly
• D. Collect a midstream clean-catch sample from the urethra

Answer: (B)

When a patient has an indwelling catheter, the urine for culture should be drawn through the catheter’s sterile sampling port using aseptic technique. Wiping the self-sealing port with antiseptic and then aspirating with a sterile syringe preserves the closed drainage system and minimizes contamination from the urethra, skin, or environment. Sampling from the urine bag after disconnecting the catheter or opening the tubing disrupts the closed system and introduces bacteria from the bag or tubing, leading to false-positive results and higher infection risk. A midstream clean-catch isn’t appropriate when an indwelling catheter is in place because the specimen would not accurately reflect bladder urine. Obtain the sample via the sterile port, label, and send to the lab promptly.