A urine culture test may be ordered to test for germs and bacteria causing infection in the urinary tract. It may be done in conjunction with a susceptibility testing to determine which antibiotics will inhibit the growth of the microbe causing the infection. The results help the doctor determine which medicines are likely to be most effective in treating a person’s infection. Most urinary tract infections are not considered to be complicated and can be treated easily. However, if
they are they not detected early, the infection may spread up through your ureters and into your kidneys, causing permanent damage to the kidneys. People with kidney damage or with other diseases which can affect kidneys like diabetes and people with the weak immune system may be prone to frequent UTIs. Signs and symptoms of UTI include strong, persistent desire to urinate, burning sensation while urinating, cloudy, strong smelling urine and lower back pain. In some cases if the infection is too severe there can be blood found in the urine along with high fever, chills nausea and vomiting.There are no special requirements for this test. You are advised to drink a lot of water prior to the test so that you can provide sufficient amount of urine sample for the test.
The lab technician checks for the growth of bacteria in the sample. If the there are no harmful germs found in the sample the test is negative. However, if there are harmful germs found in the sample the test is positive. The most common bacteria that cause the UTI are E-coli bacteria which live in your intestines. The lab may perform more tests to figure out with antibiotics will help cure the infection.
The lab technician gives you a cup for collecting the urine sample You should wash your hands before going in for the test First, urinate a little in the toilet and then in the cup, making sure the urine doesn’t touch your skin After coming out wash your hands again
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