3rd Trimester

How does a urine specimen become contaminated?

This is so frustrating!

I went into L & D for frequent BH's on 12/26. They said my urine looked "dirty" as in some numbers came up high and they sent it off to the lab. The nurses said it's possible my contractions were due to a UTI, which made sense because I was peeing every 5 minutes, but I was also drinking a TON of water to stop them. I never saw my doc, they just talked to him over the phone.

I called the doctor that night before the pharmacy closed, not knowing it would take 48 hours to get the results.

So I went in for my regular appointment on 12/29, asked about the results, they hadn't come in yet.

Meanwhile I'm thankful my BH's became less frequent, they are only about 10-12 per day now. Also thankful it doesnt hurt to pee like it usually does with a UTI!

STILL haven't heard anything, so I called today. Apparently the specimen was contaminated so they need me to come in and pee again on friday, then they will find out by my monday appointment.

So peeing in a cup on 12/26 and won't get the results as to whether I have a UTI until 1/5. Does that seem extraordinarily long to anyone else?

Re: How does a urine specimen become contaminated?

  • Sounds like a huge pile of BS to me.  If I were having a UTI, I would demand meds asap... Mine have been exceeeeeedingly painful in the past.

    I'd be back on the phone with them... asap.

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  • Yes - especially if you do have a UTI and need meds.
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  • The secretary had just talked to the doctor on call who said it looked like "there is something brewing" which leads me to believe it's not quite a UTI yet....

    I'm not in any pain, just annoyed.

  • Ugh that stinks!! I hope your BH go away on their own.  The urine speciman could have been contaminated if they didnt get a clean catch or if the collection cup was dirty (they are supposed to be sterile, but who knows).  Its common and irritating, but they should have you redo it ASAP and get the strips to see if there are any nitrates or white blood cells.. then send it out for a culture if necessary.  Sounds like they are a bit slow.
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  • Urine is sterile, so if there are bacteria in it you either have a UTI or you didn't wipe well enough before the "clean catch" sample.  Did they give you wipes to use before you peed?  Make sure you clean up really well with them before peeing-you have bacteria all over down there and if any get in the urine sample, it's contaminated.
  • They close in a half hour and i'm not allowed to drive. they are closed tomorrow. If I start feeling pain i could always go into L & D and do it there I guess....and demand relief.
  • Not unusual for a "clean catch" urine specimen be contaminated, especially in females. Like a PP said, if you didn't have the entire urethra sterilized, which can be hard to do (we've all had to pee in those cups - not always the easiest thing to do neatly), bacteria from the area can contaminate the specimen. There is a minimum # of bacteria that has to grow in a urine specimen for it to be considered a true infection. Normally urine is sterile, but if a tiny bit of bacteria grows, that is in the gray zone and it's unclear. Also what can grow can be called "normal perineal flora" by the lab = contaminate or it could be a bacteria that doesn't normally cause a UTI = also concerning for a contaminate.

    so..... I know it must be really frustrating but I am sure they don't want to treat you 1) unnecessarily and 2) treat you for the wrong bacteria. I hope you don't have any more UTI symptoms besides the BH; if you do while the office is closed I agree w/ going to urgent care. If your urine dipstick there looks bad you could be treated empirically, if it came to that. Good luck!

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