Friday, November 20, 2015
An accurate analysis of the bacteria count in urine is extremely important for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections. However, rapid bacterial growth can lead to false positive results and should be prevented beforehand by effective stabilisation
Although the presence of bacteria in urine is often a symptom of a urinary tract infection, it is necessary to accurately determine the bacterial count to allow for a conclusive diagnosis to be reached. The VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube from Greiner Bio-One stabilises the bacterial count in urine to allow for microbiological tests to be performed.
The symptoms of a urinary tract infection range from the need to urinate often, pain when urinating and abdominal pain to fever, shivering and, in the case of complex infections, pain in the side. This type of infection is more common in women than in men due to the fact that the urethra is shorter. The medical threshold for diagnosing a urinary tract infection is ≥105 CFU/ml (colony-forming units/ml)(1). If the urine in a sample container is not sufficiently stabilised, then the bacteria will multiply. If this unstable urine sample is subsequently analysed, a urinary tract infection may be diagnosed incorrectly as a result of the previously unimpeded bacterial growth. This could lead to a patient taking antibiotics unnecessarily.
One of the main advantages of the VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube is the high solubility of the powder stabiliser. By simply inverting the tube a few times, the urine and additive can be tho-roughly mixed together in no time at all, guaranteeing efficient stabilisation of the urine sample. The stabiliser in the vacuum tube keeps the urine sample within a constant temperature range of 20–25°C for up to 48hours, during which time the sample can be transported or stored without the need for refrigeration.
The VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube is fitted with a safety cap that is extremely easy to open, allowing for hygienic working conditions – with no risk of splashes which may occur with stan-dard rubber stoppers. Plus, the VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube is made from highly transparent PET plastic and is shatterproof.
Which types of bacteria can be stabilised?
A large number of obligatory and optional pathogenic urogenital bacteria are stabilized in the VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube which can be reliably detected for up to 48 hours. Urinary tract infections are most commonly caused by Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus spp. In addition to these two bacterial strains, internal studies have verified the stabilisation of Salmonella enteritidis, Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis. Furthermore, even sensitive microorganisms, such as Streptococcus spp., are stabilisedsufficiently(1).
Literature:
1) Evaluation of the feasibility of the VACUETTE® Urine CCM tube for microbial testing of urine samples. Internal studyby GBO
Greiner Bio-One International GmbH
Greiner Bio-One specialises in the development, production, sale and marketing of high-quality plastic products for use in laboratories. A technology partner to hospitals, laboratories, universities, research institutions, and the diagnostics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, the company is divided into four business divisions: Preanalytics, BioScience, Diagnostics and OEM. Greiner Bio-One International GmbH generated a turnover of EUR 388 million in 2014 and operates in more than 100 countries with over 1800 employees, 23 branches and numerous sales partners. Based in Kremsmünster, Austria, Greiner Bio-One is part of Greiner Holding.
VACUETTE® Urine CCM tubes
If you have any questions, please contact:
Peter Föttinger, Corporate Marketing Manager
Tel.: +43 7583 6791-1150
Email: peter.foettinger@gbo.com
