Urine Culture
Understand the uses, result interpretation, etc., of the urine culture test better with our guide. Click here for more details and a free template.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What is a Urine Culture Test?
A urine culture test is a medical test or laboratory procedure designed to detect the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast in a urine sample. The difference between a urine culture and urinalysis is that the latter is conducted as an initial screening test to identify red and white blood cells as well as the presence of bacteria. However, unlike the urine culture test, it cannot specify the type of bacteria responsible for the UTI the patient may have.
As mentioned, the primary purpose of the urine culture test is to diagnose urinary tract infections (UTIs). More specifically, the test will help identify the yeast or bacteria causing the infection so practitioners can select the appropriate and effective treatment option.
There are different procedures for a urine culture test, but they mainly vary in collecting the urine sample. A sample may be collected via the most common clean-catch method, a urinary collection bag, or a catheter. Afterwards, a growth-promoting substance will be introduced to the urine sample to allow the microorganisms in the urine to multiply; their presence is the main indicator of an infection within the urinary system.
Downloadable Urine Culture Test
Access our free Urine Culture Test PDF
How does it work?
Step One. Procure a Copy of the Template
To access and download a digital and printable urine culture test template copy when needed, do either of the steps below:
- Click the “Download Template” or “Use Template” button
- Searching “Urine Culture Test” on Carepatron’s template library’s search bar on the app or website
Step Two. Create the Request
Determine if your patient needs a urine culture test or a urinalysis by interviewing, assessing, or physically examining your patient. If you think they’ll benefit from the test, use our template as a request form and fill out the first half of the template.
Step Three. Present the Form
Depending on the patient’s condition, they, you, or a fellow practitioner caring for the same patient may present the form to the phlebotomist or qualified healthcare provider responsible for collecting and/or processing the urine sample. The document will serve as proof that the test was requested.
Step Four. Analyze and Interpret
Once the sample has been processed and the results have returned, you analyze and interpret the results. Feel free to use the end of the template as a place to write notes like your observations and findings.
Step Five. Store the Template Securely
After using the template, don’t forget to store the completed template securely. If you decide to use the digital version of the template, we recommend you store your copy on Carepatron, a HIPAA-compliant software that can guarantee the security of your patient’s records.
Urine Culture Test Example (sample)
We present you with a printable and digitally accessible PDF file of a completed urine culture test template. You can use it to have an idea of how the blank template may look when you use it as a request form and/or document for notes, observations, and findings. However, note that the answers in the sample template are fictional.
Want a copy of the example template? Then, view the sample below or click the “Download Example PDF” button.
Check our our Urine Culture Test PDF here!
When would you use this test?
Healthcare providers like general physicians or specialists like urologists and obstetricians can request and use this test for the following purposes:
Standard Practice
Pregnant women may be asked to undergo a urine culture test during the first trimester of pregnancy to detect and address any possible UTIs that may pose risks during one’s pregnancy.
Investigate and Diagnose
If the patient is exhibiting symptoms of a urinary tract infection like painful urination, abdominal pain without a cause/reason, or often feels the urge to urinate but is unable to empty their bladder, the practitioner may ask them to undergo the test to confirm a UTI diagnosis.
Alternatively, if the patient underwent a urinalysis first and their results showed a high white blood cell count, the practitioner may ask them to undergo a urine culture test to identify the specific microorganism causing the infection.
Target, Monitor, and Manage
For patients who have a history of getting UTIs frequently or have experienced UTIs that are difficult to treat, the referring physician may request a urine culture test to understand the microorganism causing the frequency or severity of the UTI and its pattern of antibiotic resistance.
Also, a urine culture test may be requested to check if the treatment has removed all of the bacteria that caused the infection and ensure no resistant or left-over bacteria can cause the patient to have another UTI.
What do the results mean?
The results of a urine culture test can freely provide essential information about the presence of yeast or bacteria in the urine sample, which aids the referring physician’s treatment decisions. Though it’s recommended that a referring physician analyze and interpret considering the context of the patient, if you need a general overview of the result interpretations, keep reading below.
Positive Urine Culture
If a patient has a positive urine culture test, it means there’s a significant growth of bacteria in the urine at a notable number of colony-forming units (CFUs). If the sample was obtained via a clean-catch method, any amount higher than 100,000 CFUs/mL indicates UTI.
Meanwhile, if the sample was collected using invasive methods such as a cystoscopy if their levels are between 1,000 to 100,000 CFUs/mL, it may also suggest a UTI.
You may confirm the UTI diagnosis if the patient has a positive urine culture and exhibits UTI symptoms.
Negative Urine Culture
If a patient has a negative urine culture, it means that there aren’t any signs of bacteria or yeast growth in the urine sample indicative of the absence of a UTI. Do note that if the patient has recently taken antibiotics, it may suppress a UTI-causing organism’s growth, leading to a false-negative.
Why use Carepatron as your Urine Culture app?
Carepatron is a multipurpose cloud-based general practice management software that offers a variety of reasons for healthcare providers, professionals, and private practices to consider integrating it into their workflow. More specifically, using the Carepatron app while conducting a urine culture test.
On Carepatron, practitioners can effectively streamline processes and automate tasks related to managing clinical documentation, controlling healthcare scheduling, creating clinical notes, handling healthcare payments, and more. This centralization enhances efficiency and allows healthcare practitioners to direct most of their time, effort, and focus from handling administrative tasks to delivering quality patient care.
Aside from those, Carepatron offers customization options that healthcare professionals can use to tailor their tools and workflows to their needs and stellar customer service that can help them make the most out of the software. Carepatron does all these and more while ensuring global security compliance, adhering to standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and HITRUST to ensure it’s a secure and trusted platform for healthcare professionals globally.
Think Carepatron can lend a hand in raising the caliber of your practice? Then, sign up for free access and an account today!
References
MacFadden, D. R., Ridgway, J. P., Robicsek, A., Elligsen, M., & Daneman, N. (2014). Predictive utility of prior positive urine cultures. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 59(9), 1265–1271. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciu588
Wilson, M. L., & Gaido, L. (2004). Laboratory diagnosis of urinary tract infections in adult patients. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 38(8), 1150–1158. https://doi.org/10.1086/383029
Xu, R., Deebel, N. A., Casals, R., Dutta, R., & Mirzazadeh, M. (2021). A new gold rush: A review of current and developing diagnostic tools for urinary tract infections. Diagnostics, 11(3), 479. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11030479
Commonly asked questions
General physicians, pediatricians, urologists, infectious disease specialists, and nephrologists are among the many types of doctors who typically request a urine culture test.
Urine culture tests are requested and used when investigating or diagnosing a suspected UTI, monitoring a patient post-condition, identifying a UTI microorganism’s antibiotic resistance patterns, and more.
The sample collection only takes a few minutes, while the urine culture test results are expected to return between 1 to 3 business days, depending on the laboratory.
