Urine culture test

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Share on Pinterest Ivan-balvan/Getty Images Your body uses urine to remove toxins, excess water, and other substances. But urine can also reveal information about your overall health and well-being. How well your body filters out toxins and other wastes, and what kinds of substances are showing up in your urine, can tell a doctor a lot about how well your body systems are working. Issues relating to your kidneys, liver, pancreas, or heart can all be flagged by an abnormal urine test result. This article reviews what kinds of things routine urine tests check for, as well as normal and abnormal test ranges, and what these results might indicate. Urine tests reveal a lot of information about you. The Each body system uses a specific formula of minerals or solutions — called Many electrolytes and minerals that your body uses for normal functioning can serve a purpose in one area of the body and cause a problem in another. Balance is important, and A Below is a list of common urinalysis tests by type, and what kinds of problems these tests might be used to identify. • Visual inspection: This is a simple visualization of a urine sample for color and clarity. Cloudy or discolored urine can indicate an infection or various problems with your metabolism. • Microscopic exam: With these tests, a small sample of urine is examined under a microscope for abnormal crystals, bacteria, or cell types. Infections and • Dipstick test: A dipstick test uses a reactive strip of paper that will c...

Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. Advanced Search: • Use “ “ for phrases o [ “pediatric abdominal pain” ] • Use – to remove results with certain terms o [ “abdominal pain” –pediatric ] • Use OR to account for alternate terms o [teenager OR adolescent ] Search A-Z Urinalysis, the testing of urine, may be necessary in the Evaluation of Kidney and Urinary Tract Disorders A doctor obtains a medical history by interviewing a person. The interview includes questions about a person's symptoms, past medical history (what disorders the person has had), drugs (prescribed... read more and can also help evaluate bodywide disorders such as diabetes or liver problems. A urine sample is usually collected using the clean-catch method or another sterile method. For example, a method to obtain an uncontaminated urine sample involves passing a catheter through the urethra into the bladder. Urine cultures, in which bacteria from a urine sample are grown in a laboratory, are done to diagnose a Overview of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) In healthy people, urine in the bladder is sterile—no bacteria or other infectious organisms are present. The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body (urethra) contains no bacteria... read more . Cultures are not part of routine urinalysis. The sample of urine must be obtained by the clean-catch method (see sidebar Obtaining a Clean-Catch Urine Sample ) or by briefly inserting a sterile catheter through the...

Your doctor tells you they want to do a Your urinary tract includes the An infection usually starts in the bladder or urethra (the tube your pee comes out of). But it can affect any part of this system. If you have an infection, there may be a burning feeling when you pee. Or, you may feel like you need to go, but nothing or very little comes out. If you also have a fever or belly pain, it may mean you have a more serious infection. What Do I Do for a Urine Culture? You pee in a cup. It sounds simple enough, and it is. Just make sure you get a “clean” urine sample so any germs found in it are from an infection in your urinary tract and not another source, like your Here’s how you do it: • • Wipe the area around where you pee with the cleaning pad given to you. If you’re a woman, spread the outer lips of your • Pee a little in the toilet first and stop. Don’t pee in the cup right away. Then, collect about 1 or 2 ounces in the cup. Make sure the container doesn’t touch your skin. Finish peeing in the toilet. This is called a “midstream” urine catch. • Some people may need their sample collected through a catheter -- a thin tube put into your urethra and into the bladder. This is done with the help of a health care worker. The sample is placed in a clean container. What Happens Next? Your sample goes to a lab. Drops of your pee are put in a petri dish and stored at A lab worker will look at the germs under the microscope. Their size, shape, and color tell which types are ther...

Urine Culture Does this test have other names? Urine culture and sensitivity, urine C&S What is this test? Thistestchecks for bacteria in your urine that could be causing an infection in your urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. The results of a urine culture help your doctor find out what's causing your infection and determine the best way to treat it. Almost 90% of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by E. coli bacteria. Other types of bacteria, tuberculosis, and yeast infections can also cause a urinary tract infection. Why do I need this test? You may need this test if you have symptoms of a UTI. These include: • Fever and chills • Burning pain when urinating • Pain in the back or lower belly • Frequent or urgent need to urinate • Cloudy or smelly urine What other tests might I have along with this test? Your doctormay also order a urinalysis (UA), which is a urine test to check for white blood cells. They may also order ablood testto look for signs of infection in your blood. What do my test results mean? Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, and other things. Your test results may be different depending on the lab used. They may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you. Urine culture results are given in colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). A negative result means you don't have an infection. A higher bacterial count may...

Diagnosis Your health care provider may diagnose trichomoniasis by doing an exam of the genitals and lab tests. Your health care provider may also look at a sample of vaginal fluid for women or a swab from inside the penis (urethra) for men under a microscope. If the parasite can be seen under the microscope, no further tests are needed. If the test doesn't show the parasite, but your provider thinks you may have trichomoniasis, other tests may be done. Your provider may order tests done on a sample of vaginal fluid, a penis uretheral swab or sometimes urine. Tests include a rapid antigen test and nucleic acid amplification test. If you have trichomoniasis, your provider may also do tests for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) so they can also be treated. Treatment Treatment of trichomoniasis requires an oral antibiotic that is effective against infections caused by this parasite. Treatment can be given during pregnancy. Options may include: • Megadose. Your health care provider may recommend one large dose (megadose) of either metronidazole (Flagyl), tinidazole (Tindamax) or secnidazole (Solosec). You only take these oral medications one time. • Multiple doses. Your provider might recommend several lower doses of metronidazole or tinidazole. You take the pills two times a day for seven days. To help clear up the infection completely, keep taking this medicine for the full time your provider prescribed the drug, even if you begin to feel better after a few days. ...