Suprapubic aspiration (SPA) of the urinary bladder SPA is useful in determining urinary infection in adults in whom infection is suspected and for whom results from routine procedures have been equivocal and diagnosis is critical. SPA is also useful in pediatric patients when clean-catch urine specimens are difficult to obtain.
a) Before SPA, the patient should force fluids until the bladder is full. (Note that forcing fluids may reduce the organism number.)
b) Shave and disinfect the suprapubic skin overlying the urinary bladder.
c) The physician will make a small lance wound through the epidermis, just above the symphysis pubis.
d) Aspirate urine from the bladder by using a needle aspiration technique.
e) Transfer urine from syringe into clean container
