HardyCHROM™ UTI is a differential culture medium that facilitates the isolation and differentiation of urinary tract pathogens, including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The development of various colors, due to chromogenic substances in the media, allows for the differentiation of microorganisms from the primary set-up of a urine specimen.

There are a number of organisms routinely isolated from urinary tract infections (UTI). Most UTIs are caused by Escherichia coli alone, or in combination with other organisms. The most frequently isolated species produce characteristic enzymes. Chromogenic substrates (chromogens) incorporated into HardyCHROM™ UTI produce different colored compounds when they are degraded by specific microbial enzymes. Thus, HardyCHROM™ UTI can be used for the cultivation and differentiation of various groups of organisms with only a minimum number of confirmatory tests.

Features and Benefits:

• E. coli produces large magenta colonies (confirmatory, no further testing required)
• Enterococcus faecalis/faecium produces small, turquoise-colored colonies
• Pseudomonas spp. produce light yellow/green, translucent colonies.
• Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Serratia spp. produce large, deep blue colonies
• Staphylococcus saprophyticus produces opaque, pink colonies
• Candida spp. produces small, white, moist colonies
• Proteus, Morganella, and Providencia spp. produce clear to light yellow colonies with a diffuse golden-orange halo in the medium
• Staphylococcus aureus produces opaque, white-colored colonies
• Citrobacter spp. produce dark blue colonies often with a rose halo in the surrounding media

This media is to be stored and incubated in the dark. If you have a light in your refrigerator, incubator, or you leave the media exposed to light on the bench top, Hardy Diagnostics offers free Blok-Boxes. Blok-Box is a reusable cardboard box that holds one sleeve of ten petri plates.