Urine culture test is recommended for the patients to identify any yeast or bacteria that might be responsible for causing UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). The bacteria that actually causes this health disorder enters the urinary tract through the urethra. Moreover, this bacteria will continue to grow and flourish within the tract because of the warm and moist environment, which might later cause an infection.
Women are more likely to experience UTIs, even more than men. It is mostly because their urethra is shorter and its proximity to the anus is closer. Thus, the bacteria present within the digestive tract can easily access the urinary system of women, leading them to experience UTIs. Depending on the symptoms, your doctor might recommend you to take a urine culture test.
There is more to this diagnostic procedure that you must know, which will be discussed later in this article. So, read along till the end!
Understanding Urine Culture Test
A urine culture test is a diagnostic procedure that checks your urine for any kind of germs or bacteria that is responsible for triggering infections. Urine is the waste of your body, and culture is the medical terminology for the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria.
When you are prescribed to get a urine culture test from a pathology lab, the doctors will request you to submit your sample in a small box. Now, the lab experts will be adding some growth-promoting solutions to the sample and checking if there is a presence of yeast or bacteria in it, which will start to multiply under the microscope.
If the urine culture test is stated as positive, it means there’s an infection within your urinary system, and doctors will then take adequate measures to help you recover from the infection.
Some people often confuse a urine culture test with a urinalysis, but they are different from one another. Even though you are required to produce your urine sample for both diagnoses, urinalysis is meant for quicker screening of white & red blood cells and the bacteria that might indicate an infection.
If urinalysis fails to identify the presence of any potential bacteria that might be causing UTI, but the symptoms still persist, urine culture is the next step of the diagnostic procedure that the doctors recommend.
What’s the Purpose of the Urine Culture Test?
The healthcare providers recommend urine culture tests for diagnosing UTIs. It is the ultimate procedure to detect the spread of bacteria or germs within your urine system, mostly the bladder, before they spread out to your kidneys or prostate, causing serious complications.
Upon executing the urine culture procedure, the doctors will be able to determine the type of bacteria or yeast that’s affecting your health condition. Considering that, they can provide you with the most effective treatment options to overcome the infection. Apart from that, the urine culture also specifies if the bacteria within is resistant to any specific antibiotics.
Who Must Be Taking the Urine Culture Test?
If you are experiencing hard-to-treat or chronic UTIs, your healthcare provider might recommend you with a urine culture test. Generally, all people who are experiencing various symptoms of UTI are recommended to take a urine culture test as a priority diagnostic procedure.
You must know that UTIs are meant to affect all genders, but women are at higher risk of experiencing it. Some of the potential risk factors that might lead you to experience frequent UTIs are:
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Frequent intercourse
- Weakened immune system
Some of the signs & symptoms that are possibly the indications of you experiencing UTI and trigger the need for taking a urine culture test are:
- Frequent urination
- Pain while urinating
- Strong uncontrollable urge to urinate, with less flow of urine.
- Discolored, cloudy, and dark urine with a pungent smell.
- Seeing blood in the urine
- Lower or abdominal back pain
The urine culture test price is very nominal! So, in case you feel any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to get the diagnostic test done for attaining peace of mind, or to get immediate treatment upon the test resulting positive.
What’s the Procedure for Giving a Urine Culture Test?
You will first have to prepare for the urine culture test, and for that, your doctors will ask you not to pee for at least one hour before giving your urine sample. Following that, you must also drink 8 ounces of water at least 20 minutes before your sample collection to ensure you can give enough urine for the lab experts to test. It is meant to help you collect urine samples as the first thing in the morning.
The morning urine sample is asked by the doctors because the culture test demands the use of a clean sample, free from any outside contaminants, such as normal bacteria that live over your skin. You can submit your urine sample at the lab, or in some cases, you will be asked to collect it at home. If that’s the case, you must look after a few things before getting along with it, such as:
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap.
- Use some antiseptic wipe to clean the urethral opening.
- Let out some amount of urine into your toilet, and then hold onto the flow.
- Now, place a cup under the penis or vulva, and then resume peeing. Remember, don’t let the cup touch your penis or vulva.
- When filled, hold onto your urine for a second to take the cup away, and continue to urinate until you are done.
- Place the lid over the cup, and take it for submission at the lab.
Upon giving your urine sample, it will then be sent to the lab, and the microscopic tests will be conducted to determine the root cause of your UTI.
Some of the other processes can also be used for collecting urine samples, such as the use of aspiration, catheterization, or urine bags. It is a very safe process to give out your urine sample, through the easy catch method at home, and there’s mostly no need for using any medical equipment for the process.
Also Read: 24-Hour Urine Collection Test Purpose, Procedure, Results
Results of the Urine Culture Test
The result of the urine culture test is specified as either positive or negative, which means:
- Positive Result: If the bacteria development is prominent in your urine culture, and you are expressing your discomfort due to the symptoms such as bladder irritaton or infection, you are UTI positive. Alongside being positive, the report will also state the type of bacteria that has caused the infection and which kind of antibiotics they are resistant or sensitive to. This way, doctors will be able to prescribe you the right medication.
- Negative Result: If the urine culture test report states negative, it indicates that there is no yeast or bacteria present within the urine sample. This means you do not have any kind of infection in your urinary tract. But if you still complain of experiencing certain symptoms, such as blood in your urine or painful urination, then your doctor might recommend imaging scans or other such tests.
The urine culture test normal range is considered to be between 10,000 to 1,00,000, but if it shoots beyond 1,00,000, it indicates the presence of an infection.
Conclusion
This is a clear understanding of what’s urine culture test is and how it is approached. This diagnostic procedure is for determining the microorganisms that cause UTIs. With this information, your doctor will be able to assist you in overcoming the condition with the correct treatment procedure.
If you are in search of the best diagnostic center to get your urine culture results in the shortest time possible, Agilus is your one-stop hub to count on. If you have the doctor’s prescription to get the urine culture done, book your appointment with us and get your samples collected in no time!
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
