Urine Infection and Urine Culture: Why You Should Aware of it?

In this article we will discuss about Urine Infection and Urine Culture. Infection in the urinary tract is a very common issue. It is most commonly found in women. Here, you will learn about urinary tract infections and urine cultures. Some statistics suggest that about 150 million urinary infection cases are reported every year all around the world.

An infection of the urinary tract can happen in any part of the urinary system, such as the urethra, bladder, or kidney. But most commonly, the lower part of the urinary tract gets infected. This infection can be diagnosed in its early stages before it gets worse. So, it is necessary to perform regular tests to prevent complications. In this article, we will discuss urine culture and why it is important.

What Exactly Is Urine Culture?

Urine or pee, the liquid excretory material of the body, contains a lot of microorganisms that may cause infection. That’s why a urine culture test is performed in a laboratory, in which a urine sample is examined to analyse the presence of microorganisms in urine. A urine culture is done to find out what kind of bacteria or yeast is causing the infection so that the best treatment can be given.

What Takes Place During a Urine Culture?

Most of the time, the patient will have to go to the lab early in the morning to give a urine sample. Morning urine is collected as it contains most of the infection-causing microorganisms. The following steps are taken in the process:

Try not to pee one hour before sample collection.
Drink plenty of water 20–25 minutes before providing the sample.
Individuals should clean their genital areas and hands to avoid any outside microorganisms from contaminating the sample.
Women should clean the whole genital area from front to back, and men should clean the tip.
Whole urine is not to be collected, just the middle portion of the urine needs to be collected. You just need to collect a few drops (about 60mn) of the middle portion urine in the provided container.
Containers should be tightly sealed and handed to the laboratory.
The remaining process is not your job. Now, the sample will be examined in the laboratory, and you will get the reports.
Urine is taken out of the urethra with the help of a catheter tube when the situation is very serious. But again, it’s not your job; doctors will perform it. Usually done in hospital admitted patients.

What Is the Purpose of a Urine Culture Test?

Any person, whether male or female, showing any of these symptoms needs a urine culture test.

While peeing, you may experience pain or a burning sensation.
Feeling the need to pee more frequently
For a time, I was unable to control my pee.
Urine appears cloudy.
Smelly urine
Back or lower abdomen pain

Why is urine culture performed?

Before diagnosing the urine infection, it is important to determine which type of bacteria and how many different types of bacteria are present in the urine. For this purpose, a urine culture test is performed. A urine culture is performed to find out.

the type of urinary infection.
cause of infection
Determine the best medication.
Whether or not the treatment provided is effective.

What Are the Risks of a Urine Culture?

You just have to provide a small sample of your urine to the laboratory. Maybe they ask for the sample early in the morning or as per the requirements. You will not have to go through a painful process unless you feel pain while peeing. So, there is no need to panic. This process is not associated with any risk. In some very serious cases, urine is taken out of the urinary tract with the help of a catheter tube. This tube is lubricated and inserted inside the urethra, which may cause some pain. Very rarely, a hole is created in the urethra to insert the catheter tube. The doctor will perform all the procedures to reduce pain.

Procedure for Urine Culture

The whole process is done in the laboratory, which includes the following :

Urine samples are collected.
Nutrient media is formed on the agar plate.
The urine sample is then placed on the agar plate and spread over it.
The agar plate is incubated for one to two days at body temperature.
After the incubation period, colonies formed on the agar plate are counted. This determines the growth and type of bacteria. The type of bacteria is determined by the size, color, and shape of the colony. One or many types of bacteria may be present in the sample.
Gram staining or other processes are performed to test different types of bacteria.
After identifying every type of infectious bacteria, desired and effective medications are provided to the patient.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you now understand the terms “urinary infection” and “urine culture.” You should see a doctor as soon as you have any of the above symptoms or feel pain in your genital area. If you don’t get the right and most effective treatment, the infection could get even worse. There is no need to panic, as we have discussed above all the procedures of urine culture and how they are performed. To know more tips related to Urine Infection and Urine Culture you can visit the group Health Tips and Healthy Lifestyle for health related tips.

Please share it with your loved ones to make them aware of this.