Urine Culture

Urine Culture

A urine culture is a test that can detect bacteria in your urine. This test can find and identify the germs that cause a urinary tract infection (UTI). Bacteria, which typically cause UTIs, can enter the urinary tract through the urethra. In the environment of your urinary tract, these bacteria can grow rapidly and develop into an infection.

Who is the test for?

Urine cultures can identify the microorganisms, typically bacteria, which cause a UTI. UTIs are more common in females than males. This is because a woman’s urethra is shorter and much closer to the anus. Therefore, it’s much easier for bacteria from the intestines to find their way into the urinary tract. Bacteria ascend the urethra into the bladder, ureters, and kidneys, where they can develop into an infection.

How is the test administered?

The urine for a urine culture can be collected in several different ways. The most common method for collecting urine is the midstream clean-catch method. For this, you collect your urine in a cup as you urinate.

Clean catch

1. Before you begin this process, a healthcare provider will ask you to wash your hands and then wash your genitalia with a cleanser.
2. You will begin urinating into a sterile cup provided by your doctor.
3. The cup is then given to your healthcare provider, who sends it to a lab for analysis.

Urinary collection bag

A urine sample can also be collected with a urinary collection bag. This method is used most commonly with children and infants. For this procedure, a plastic bag is attached with adhesive to a girl’s labia or a boy’s penis. When the child begins urinating, the bag catches the urine, which can then be sent to a lab for analysis.

Catheter

In some cases, a healthcare provider needs to collect a urine sample with a catheter. To do this, they insert a thin rubber tube through the urethra and into the bladder. Once the catheter is in place, the healthcare provider is able to collect a sample. If you already have a urinary catheter in place, a healthcare provider can collect a sample by clamping the drainage end of your catheter before it reaches the drainage bag. Once urine passes into the clamped tube, your healthcare provider uses a syringe to remove a urine sample. Urine samples should not be taken directly from a catheter collection bag because urine that has been out of the body too long may begin to grow bacteria and will not make for a good sample.

Suprapubic aspiration

In rare cases, your doctor may need to remove a urine sample from your bladder with a needle. This procedure, called a suprapubic aspiration, is used if previous attempts at collecting an uncontaminated sample have been unsuccessful.