Urine is the fluid produced by the kidneys that carries water and waste through the urinary tract and is then excreted from the body. The urine in the body should be sterile. Urine culture is a test that detects and identifies bacteria and yeast in the urine, which can cause a urinary tract infection (UTI) that penetrates the urethral opening.

Urinary tract infection is more common in women and girls than in men and boys, with fecal bacteria penetrating through the opening of the urethra into the bladder.

The most common bacteria in the urinary tract are: The E. coli bacterium is the most common, occurring in 75% to 90% of cases of simple urinary tract infection.

Urine culture, a small sample of urine placed on one or more agar plates (a thin layer of food material) and incubated at body temperature. Any bacteria or yeast that is in the urine sample grows over the next 24 to 48 hours.

A lab professional studies the colonies on the agar plate, counts the total number and determines how many varieties have grown. The size, shape, and color of these colonies help identify which bacteria are present, and the number of colonies indicates the amount of bacteria originally found in the urine sample. The amount can differentiate between normal levels of bacteria versus infection.

Ideally, if a good urine sample was collected for testing, there are only bacteria that cause UTI. Usually it will be a single type of bacteria that will be in relatively large numbers.

Sometimes, there are more than one type of bacteria. This can result from more than one pathogen in the West. However, it is more likely that an infection in the skin, vagina or feces was collected during urine collection.

If there is no growth or shrinkage of the buffer after 24 to 48 hours of incubation, the urine culture is considered negative and the culture is complete, suggesting a non-existent infection.

Purpose of the blood test

To diagnose urinary tract infection (UTI)

When to perform the test

When you experience symptoms of urinary tract infection, such as frequent and painful urination, burning and burning sensation when urinating, urgency and frequency of urination.

Test preparations

Taking a urine sample according to the guidelines is a necessary condition for a reliable result. These are the guidelines:

1. A urine culture should usually be taken before starting antibiotic treatment.

2. Hygiene must be observed:
   A. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and wipe them with a towel.
   B. The genitals should be rinsed with lukewarm water and wiped gently to reduce the risk of specimen contamination.
   third. Women are advised to cut off the outer lips of the vagina before giving the sample.

3. For a general urine test and for culture it is recommended to take the first urine of the morning, but if there is no request for culture, the test can also be done from a random sample.

4. It is recommended to avoid doing a test while bleeding or when there is multiple discharge, unless there is an explicit instruction from a doctor to do the test even in such a situation.

5. Collection tools for children and adults - a disposable cup with a screw cap that is issued by a laboratory.

6. Method of collection: Urine should be collected from the middle of the stream. After cleaning the genitals with lukewarm water, the urination to the toilet should be started and only the continuation of the current collected in the designated cup, until about half of its volume is filled. The rest of the urine should be flushed down the toilet again.

7. Close the lid of the glass tightly and keep the glass tightly closed.

8. The sample must be given to the nurse.

9. If the sample has to stay for more than an hour, put it in the refrigerator.

10. Catheter urine culture can be taken. One hour before taking the culture the catheter should be closed.

And

Duration of test results

Up to 5-7 days (monitoring bacterial growth) so answering takes some time. In case there is no growth answers will be before.