CHROMagar™ Orientation

For Isolation and Differentiation of Urinary Tract Pathogens

CHROMagar™ Orientation is a non-selective chromogenic culture medium developed for the detection, differentiation, and presumptive identification of major uropathogens in urine samples. Through distinctive colony coloration, it enables rapid visual identification of common urinary tract infection (UTI) agents, supporting fast and accurate diagnoses.

The medium replaces multiple classical plates (Blood Agar, CLED, and MacConkey) with one easy-to-read chromogenic plate, significantly reducing workload, improving detection rates, and streamlining laboratory workflow.

🔹 Key Features & Benefits

• ✅ Broad-Spectrum Uropathogen Identification by Colony Color:

  Organism	Colony Appearance
  E. coli	Dark pink to reddish
  Enterococcus spp.	Turquoise blue
  Proteus spp.	Brown halo
  Klebsiella/Enterobacter/Serratia	Metallic blue
  Citrobacter spp.	Metallic blue with red halo
  Staphylococcus saprophyticus	Pink, opaque, small
  Staphylococcus aureus	Golden, opaque, small
  Streptococcus agalactiae	Light blue
  Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Translucent, cream to blue
  Candida albicans	Colourless

• ✅ High Diagnostic Utility:
  • Offers semi-quantitative assessment and easy mixed-culture identification
  • Enables direct susceptibility testing from primary isolates—no subcultures required
• ✅ Superior Performance:
  • >99.3% specificity for E. coli
  • Recognizes minor populations that may be missed on conventional media
  • Allows for faster presumptive ID of multiple pathogens within 18–24 hours
• ✅ Veterinary Compatibility:
  • Also validated for urine specimens from companion and livestock animals

🔹 Intended Use

CHROMagar™ Orientation is intended for:

• Qualitative detection, differentiation, and presumptive identification of uropathogens in human and veterinary urine samples
• A primary screening tool in clinical microbiology labs for UTI diagnostics
• Facilitating empirical therapy decisions by rapid pathogen recognition

⚠️ Not intended to diagnose infection or guide treatment. Confirmatory testing (e.g., biochemical panels, MALDI-TOF) is required for final ID.

🔹 Performance Advantages

• Replaces up to 3 media (e.g., Blood agar, MacConkey, CLED)
• Time-saving: Direct ID and AST from primary culture
• User-friendly: Clear background and vibrant colony colors support easier interpretation, especially in mixed cultures
• Cost-effective: Reduces consumables and labor hours

🔹 Test Procedure

1. Sample Type: Human or veterinary urine
2. Inoculation: Standard calibrated loop streaking (semi-quantitative method)
3. Incubation:
   • Temperature: 35–37 °C
   • Time: 18–24 hours
   • Atmosphere: Aerobic
4. Interpretation:
   • Identify uropathogens based on distinct colony colors
   • Semi-quantify growth by colony count per streak zone

🔹 Ordering Information

🔹 Storage & Shelf Life

• Storage: 2–8 °C, sealed and protected from light
• Shelf Life: Up to 24 months from manufacture
• Prepared Media: Use within validated timeframes provided in instructions

🔹 Scientific Publications

• 2023 – Ukraine: Zoonotic Staphylococcus spp. detection in domestic animals
• 2023 – Peru: Simplified Enterobacterales ID using CHROMagar™ Orientation
• 2023 – Europe/Canada: MALDI-TOF identification of chromogenic colonies (Lüthje et al.)

CHROMagar™ Orientation is a high-performance chromogenic medium that simplifies UTI pathogen detection with rapid, color-based differentiation. With its broad-spectrum utility, strong performance metrics, and streamlined workflow, it is the ideal solution for clinical laboratories, veterinary diagnostics, and infection control programs looking to optimize urinary microbiology testing.