Urinalysis and urine culture order improved

Updates based on your feedback

The order panel for urinalysis and urine cultures was changed on Oct. 30, following feedback from providers.

For all inpatient providers, your preference list now offers the following “Urinalysis/UA Reflex to Culture” order panel when searching for any of these terms:

• u/a
• ua
• urine cx
• lab 9022
• micro
• ua micro
• ua macro
• urinalysis
• UA
• Urine
• urine culture
• reflex

At the request of providers, the direction to remove (and replace, if needed) a Foley catheter prior to urine collection will occur on day four or later after the Foley was inserted. 

What does the order panel include?

• The order panel can evaluate if a patient has a urinary catheter in place and how long it has been there.
• Based on how long the catheter has been in, the orders needed for this specimen are either:
  • Collect a clean catch.
  • Draw from a urinary catheter that has been inserted for three days or less.
  • Remove the urinary catheter and obtain straight cath specimen.
  • Remove the urinary catheter and insert a clean urinary catheter, then draw the specimen from the new urinary catheter.
  • Note: There is also another order to collect from another source.
• An order for “Urine microscopic only” is available to select.
• An order for “Urine macroscopic” is also available to select.

Questions? Contact Infection Prevention at 503-814-2788 or email infection.prevention@salemhealth.org.