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Book

Suprapubic Aspiration

Anthony Peters  1 , Stephen W. Leslie  2 , Yiraima Medina-Blasini  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
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Book

Suprapubic Aspiration

Anthony Peters et al.
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Excerpt

Suprapubic aspiration (SPA) is a sterile procedure widely regarded as the gold standard for obtaining uncontaminated urine samples, particularly in young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2011 clinical practice guideline for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children aged 2 to 24 months strongly recommends urinalysis through urinary catheterization or SPA, especially for children with unexplained fevers. This procedure can also be performed in older children and adults when the bladder outlet is obstructed. Despite its accuracy and strong endorsement, SPA is infrequently performed due to its invasive nature and associated discomfort, leading many healthcare professionals to prefer urinary catheterization. However, SPA remains critical for emergency clinicians, pediatricians, and urologists, especially in cases involving bladder outlet obstruction or during suprapubic catheter placement.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Anthony Peters declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Stephen Leslie declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Yiraima Medina-Blasini declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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