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BRILLIANCE UTI CLARITY AGAR

Brilliance™ UTI Clarity™  Agar (formerly Chromogenic UTI Clarity Agar) is for differentiation and presumptive identification of common urinary tract infection isolates.

Products Available

^{Prepared media products restricted to certain territories}

*Adjusted as required to meet performance standards

Directions
To prepare the medium from the base, suspend 37g of Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar (CM1106) in 1 litre of distilled water. Mix well and sterilize by autoclaving at 121ºC for 15 minutes. Cool the medium to 50ºC and pour into sterile Petri dishes.

Description
Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar is a non-selective, differential agar which provides presumptive identification of the main pathogens which cause infection of the urinary tract. This medium targets the same enzymes as other chromogenic UTI agars in the Oxoid range (CM949/CM1050). However, to do so, new, more specific chromogens have been incorporated. The new chromogens provide improved reactions, enabling even easier differentiation of organism groups.

Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar contains two chromogenic substrates which are cleaved by enzymes produced by E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and coliforms. Of the two chromogens included in the medium, one is metabolised by β-galactosidase, an enzyme produced by E. coli, which grow as pink colonies. The other is cleaved by β-glucosidase enzyme activity, allowing the specific detection of enterococci which form blue or turquoise colonies. 

Cleavage of both the chromogens gives dark blue or purple colonies, and indicates the organism is a coliform. Incorrect presumptive identifications of Citrobacter freundii as E .coli seen in some other chromogenic UTI media have not been experienced with Briilaince UTI Clarity Agar. Good recovery of staphylococci is achieved. Proteus swarming is inhibited.

The tryptophan in the medium is an indicator of tryptophan deaminase activity (TDA), resulting in colonies of Proteus, Morganella and Providencia spp. with brown halos. TDA reactions are greatly enhanced and easy to pick out in mixed culture.

Technique
Multiplication of any organisms within the samples should be avoided as much as possible prior to testing. Therefore, samples should be transported to the laboratory for culture as rapidly as possible, or preserved using a suitable method.

The medium should be inoculated according to local standard practice and incubated at 35-37ºC for between 16 and 24 hours.

Interpretation
The expected colour reactions are laid out in table 1.

Table 1: Typical colour reactions on Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar

Presumptive E. coli identification can be confirmed using DMAC reagent on filter paper.

For further instructions on the use and interpretation of Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar, simply download the data sheet (1.26MB) in PDF format. Please confirm prepared media codes with your local supplier.

Storage and Stability
Dehydrated Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar must be stored tightly capped in the original container at 10-30ºC.

Oxoid Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar plates should be stored in the original packaging, at the temperature stated on the pack or product specification, and protected from direct light.

When stored as directed, the unopened product will remain stable until the expiry date on the label. Locally prepared media can be stored for up to 2 weeks when made from CM1106 according to the manufacturer’s instructions and stored at 2-8ºC, out of direct sunlight. A longer shelf life may be attainable, but should be validated under the relevant, local manufacturing and storage conditions.

Appearance
Dehydrated Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar is a free-flowing straw coloured powder.
The prepared medium is a straw-coloured, transparent agar.

Quality control

*This organism is available as a Culti-Loop®

Precautions
Brilliance UTI Clarity Agar is for in vitro diagnostic use only, by experienced microbiologists. It must not be used beyond the stated expiry date, or if the product shows any sign of deterioration.

It should be noted that, as with all chromogenic media, organisms with atypical enzyme patterns may give anomalous reactions. The medium should be validated with locally prevalent strains to confirm sensitivity and specificity in the end-users hands, under local conditions.

A presumptive E. coli identification can be confirmed using DMAC indole reagent (do not use Kovac’s reagent as the colour of the pink colonies may be mistaken for the red colour of a positive indole result). The test should be performed on filter paper, not directly on the plate.

Sterilise specimens, equipment and media properly after use.

Limitations
Organisms with atypical enzyme patterns may give anomalous results.

ATCC^® is a registered trademark of American Type Culture Collection 

Brilliance UTI PDF (1.26MB)