title: Variability in urine culture reporting by Canadian microbiology laboratories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the ability of microbiology laboratories to perform and to report urine colony counts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical Microbiology Proficiency Testing program participants received stabilized simulated urine samples. Laboratories were asked to perform the appropriate test and report results.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nine clinical microbiology laboratories in British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consistency of reporting was compared with standards for reporting results as described in the SI Manual in Health Care, 2nd edition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study demonstrated a wide variation in units used for the reporting of results. Ninety-five (87.2%) laboratories reported quantitative urine results in a variety of unit styles. Of those laboratories providing results with units, 80 (84.2%) used one of 10 variations of SI reporting styles. Fifteen (16.8%) laboratories reported metric units in three different styles. Eleven (10.0%) laboratories reported semiquantitative values without stating units. The remaining three (2.8%) did not respond to the survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many clinical microbiology laboratories have not adopted a consistent form of SI units for reporting quantitative urine culture results. This lack of consistency could potentially lead to interpretation confusion.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Proficiency Testing, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikiforuk