Beginning today, July 11, 2013, Boricon tubes for urine culture (PS# 74542, picture below) will be widely available at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  These contain a preservative that places bacteria in a state of stasis, preventing overgrowth or bacterial death that can result in false-positive, false-negative, or falsely “contaminated” urine cultures that have simply overgrown.

Boricon tubes are therefore now the preferred, but not the only, method for sending urine for culture.

Some key points about Boricon tubes:

• Boricon tubes are not acceptable for urinalysis and urine chemistries because the preservative interferes with testing.  This includes Epic LAB1160, LAB1164 and other urine tests that are incompatible with tube preservatives listed at: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/path_handbook/Appendix/TechServ/URINE_NO_PRESERVATIVES.html
• It is not necessary to urinate directly into the cup as the tubes are small and need to be filled.  Urine in another sterile container can be decanted into the Boricon tube to the fill line (see picture) or beyond.
• Tubes must be filled (17 mL or more, with a marked fill line at 20 mL) to prevent inhibition of bacterial growth.
• If the Boricon tube cannot be filled or if transport is immediate (within 30 minutes), a plain yellow top tube or standard sterile container (PS# 37778) is acceptable for culture.  Beyond 30 minutes, all urine for culture, including that in Boricon tubes, should be refrigerated.
• Boricon tubes, like other urine cups with screw-top lids, cannot be sent through the tube system given the risk of leaking and the associated disruptive and costly pneumatic tube system decontamination process.  Yellow top tubes (PS# 924044) can be tubed if urine is transferred to them.

Questions concerning this broadcast can be directed to Bradley Ford, MD, PhD, Associate Medical Director of Microbiology, (ext. 6-2990, bradley-ford-1@uiowa.edu).