Hantering och förvaring av urinprov från hund efter provtagning : effekt på den bakteriella växten

Abstract: Infection in the urinary tract is common in dogs. Diagnosis and treatment are based on clinical signs, and on results from urine analysis, which includes bacterial culture and identification of bacteriuria. Several national and international guidelines are available that recommend how the urine sample should be collected and handled to assure reliable results. However, there are few published studies that have investigated possible associations between bacterial growth (quantity and species) and handling of urine samples. The aim of this study was to investigate in what way handling of urine samples, immediately after collection, affects bacterial growth regarding bacterial species and quantity. The aim of the present study was also to investigate whether or not results of urine culture using Uricult® Trio changed, if stored at room temperature after cultivation. To investigate this, urine samples were handled in different ways to simulate differing clinical scenarios. In this study, urine samples were analysed, according to standard quantitative cultures, on blood- and CLED-agar or on Uricult® Trio. A total of 37 urine samples were collected in this study; 13 samples were collected by cystocentesis, two samples by catheter and 22 samples by midstream voiding. Several interesting observations were made. Growth of a different potentially pathogenic bacterial species (compared to initial culture results) in a urine sample that is stored before cultivation is small, but the quantity of bacteria (CFU/ml) changes to a greater extent. Urine samples stored in refrigerators were only minimally different and were considered to give the most reliable results. Results of the present study indicate that Uricult® Trio is a good and reliable medium for identifying bacteriuria but slightly less reliable for identification of mixed growth with several bacterial species. However, the sample size in this study was too small to make significant conclusions, and similar studies with larger sample sizes are necessary.