Data Analytic Platform Provides Insights for Reflexive Urine Culture Implementation at an Academic Medical Center

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), being one of the most common healthcare-associated infections, cause more than 8.1 million healthcare visits annually. Urine cultures are often ordered as part of a generalized workup for non-specific symptoms, such as fever without traditional UTI signs like dysuria or frequency. This frequently results in false-positive culture results, a condition known as asymptomatic bacteriuria. Pre-analytical diagnostic stewardship has increasingly focused on urinary samples due to high contamination rates, low yield of true positives, and the substantial burden placed on clinical microbiology. This study utilized CLARION™, a bioMérieux data analytics platform, to evaluate urinalysis (UA) and urine microscopy parameters, aiming to better understand urine culture contamination rates and establish a framework for a standardized reflexive urine culture program.