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KEY POINTS
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A urine culture is a test to see if there are bacteria in your urine.
A urine culture is done to diagnose an infection in the urinary tract. It may be done if the results of a urine test are not normal. The urinary tract includes your:
The test will tell your healthcare provider:
Sometimes the test is done after treatment to make sure an infection is gone.
You may need to avoid taking certain medicines before the test because they might affect the test result. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines and supplements you take. Don't stop any of your regular medicines without first consulting with your healthcare provider.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions about the test.
There are 2 methods for collecting a urine specimen: the clean-catch method and the catheterization method.
The urine is sent to the lab and tested. If you have an infection, it may take several days to find out what kind of germ is causing it.
Ask your child’s healthcare provider how and when you will get your child’s test results.
A negative test result is a normal result, which means no bacteria grew in the culture, and you do not have a urinary tract infection.
Usually a positive test result means you have a urinary tract infection. A single type of bacteria growing at high counts is a positive urine culture. However, the result could be positive when you don't have a true infection. For example, if the sample was not collected properly and too many bacteria from your skin got into the sample. This is called a contaminated specimen and the culture results will show this.
Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history, physical exam, and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Talk to your healthcare provider about the results and ask questions such as: