A urine specimen for urinalysis should be collected in a clean, dry, disposable container. If the sample is to be cultured, the container must be sterile. The preferred method is the "midstream clean-catch" collection. The external genitalia are cleansed with a sterile cleansing towelette or equivalent. The first part of the urine stream is discarded, while only the midstream portion is collected.
The CLSI PRE05 "Processes for the Collection of Urine Specimens" replaces the previous GP16-A3 guideline that was published in 2009. This guide provides more details on the standards for urine collection.
