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Urine culture tank analysis. Bacteriological urine culture

Bacteriological culture (urine culture tank) consists in determining the content of pathogenic microorganisms in a unit of liquid. With the help of this analysis, doctors not only determine the species characteristics of the microorganism, the degree of seeding, but also select an antibacterial agent to combat it. For the diagnosis to be informative, you need to know how to donate a urine culture tank.

Bacteriological urine culture copes with the following tasks: identification of the infectious agent; determination of the diagnostic titer in 1 ml of urine; identification of bacterial resistance to antibiotics; the dynamics of the patient's condition during therapy; selection of the most effective drug. Urine can be donated to the inoculation tank in order to monitor antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms in the population. The research is carried out in a laboratory of the same name, which has permission to work with infectious agents.

Who needs this analysis?

In what cases is urine examination prescribed? You can donate a urine culture tank to adults and children if it is difficult to diagnose a urological, intestinal nature. When a child develops diarrhea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, the doctor prescribes a urine test for the culture tank. After 48 hours, this allows you to determine the cause of the onset of these symptoms. In the event of the development of a bacterial infection, further complete identification of the pathogen and the selection of adequate therapy occurs.

Indications for the delivery of urine to the sowing tank:

  • infections of the urinary system (cystitis, urethritis, pyelonphritis);
  • hospital urological pathology;
  • fever after cystoscopy, catheter placement;
  • malaise in children under the age of 3 years;
  • severe urinary infections in elderly people;
  • the appearance of specific symptoms in individuals with reduced immunity, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, congenital structural anomalies, after organ transplant surgery;
  • long-term antibiotic therapy.

Urine for the sowing tank is handed over to prevent the development of urinary tract infections in persons at risk: pregnant women, the elderly, patients with diabetes mellitus.

As a screening, urine collection is taken in the absence of specific complaints by the following population groups: women during pregnancy, starting from 14 weeks, as a prophylaxis of pyelonephritis; before surgery on the organs of the urinary tract; in patients with a kidney transplant.

How to collect urine for women during their period? In order to avoid a violation of the purity of the study, it is necessary to take the analysis after its completion, having previously completed the hygiene procedures of the external genital organs.

Material collection rules

How to properly collect urine on the study tank? Recommendations for the technique of material sampling coincide with the general analysis of urine. Preparation and delivery rules are the same for adults and children. Recommendations on how to properly donate urine for culture on an outpatient basis:

  1. Collect urine in a sterile disposable container. It is purchased at a pharmacy. It is forbidden to use used containers or jars. For analysis, you need to take a middle portion of urine: urinate into the toilet by flushing the first and last stream of liquid.
  2. Urinalysis for culture should be performed before starting antibiotic therapy or in between courses.

You need to take the analysis during the morning urination after a night's sleep. For children, the procedure is carried out before breakfast. How to collect urine from newborns and infants? For this purpose, use a special urine bag attached to the sides with a clasp. After emptying the bladder, the fluid is poured into a urine container. The child may have difficulty urinating with a decrease in daily urine output. In this regard, it is necessary to give him a sufficient amount of liquid the day before.

Before you donate urine, you need to stop taking uroseptics a day before. Otherwise, its concentration will be reduced, respectively, the TMP (total microbial number) in 1 ml is less than the real figure.

How to properly donate a tank seeding in stationary conditions, compliance with transportation and preparation for collection of material in the area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility of the medical staff of the institution. He instructs each patient in the hospital individually.

Liquid intake at home

For the study of urine culture, 10-20 ml of urine is taken. Before urinating, you need to consistently perform a number of actions:

  • Wash the hands.
  • Carry out hygiene procedures for the external genital organs with warm water and soap; dry the groin area without touching the organs with your hands.
  • Collect a medium portion of urine in a container without touching the edges of the container and the perineum.
  • Submit the collected urine to a culture laboratory.

An important role is played by the sterility of the collected material: it should not be transfused and non-sterile urine taken for research. Failure to comply with the deadlines and violation of sterility during the delivery of the analysis to the laboratory stimulates the multiplication of microorganisms in the sample. From the moment of collection to the analysis, no more than two hours should pass. Storage of urine at subzero temperatures in the refrigerator is not allowed. Delayed delivery is possible only if there is a transport system. For this purpose, a preservative is placed in a test tube in a certain volume and concentration.

The analysis is ready for no more than 10 days. An express method is possible, but it is rarely used due to the high cost of the study. How much it will cost depends not only on the location of the analysis, but also on the price of nutrient media and reagents.

Research progress

Other methods of identifying the causative agent of the disease do not give such an accurate result. This is due to the need to create certain conditions for each type of bacteria that are optimal for its reproduction and active growth. Physical characteristics such as moisture, acidity and viscosity should also be specific.

Once the sample is delivered to the laboratory, it is labeled with the date, time and method of collection. Next, microorganisms are grown on enriched nutrient media. To determine the titer, bacteria colonies are counted. The main requirement during the analysis is compliance with the conditions of sterility.

Depending on the type of pathogen, universal, diagnostic and selective culture media can be used. Petri dishes with inoculated microflora are placed in a thermostat for a day with a temperature of 37 0 C. The incubation period is 24-48 hours.

Bacteria are counted according to guidelines with an assessment of their pathogenicity. After identifying a specific causative agent of the disease, its biochemical characteristics and sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs are determined. The disk method is used more often. In this case, a concentrated suspension of bacteria is applied to a plate with nutrient agar, after which discs containing an antibiotic are placed on top. After incubation, the most suitable drug for suppressing the infection is determined by the diameter of the zone of inhibition of the growth of microorganisms.

The data obtained are depicted on the antibiogram, where Latin letters indicate the degree of resistance: I-resistant, R-sensitive and S-resistant.

Bacteriological research is never the first stage of diagnosis. When it is carried out in parallel, the sensitivity of the strain to antibiotics of various series is always determined. It is with drug resistance that the ineffectiveness of treating cases is associated. This technique also prevents the development of resistant strains of microorganisms.

Decrypting data

The interpretation of the results directly depends on the competently conducted analysis, the qualifications of the laboratory assistant. It is also important to prepare for the delivery of the material, compliance with the rules of transportation. The concentration of bacteria is measured in special units - CFU, which means the number of colonies.

Primary and secondary pathogens can be found in urine. In the latter case, they become the cause of the development of bacterial infections as a result of a decrease in human immunity. If more than two pathogens are detected in the material, the doctor prescribes a re-examination of urine, suspecting contamination of urine under the influence of external factors.

The disadvantage of a urine culture tank is the length of the study. As a rule, doctors prescribe treatment to the patient on the first day of hospitalization, based on the clinical picture and complaints. Detection of opportunistic microflora in urine in small quantities is not a deviation from the norm. They talk about pathology when the indicators are exceeded. The values \u200b\u200bof the isolated microorganisms in relation to some pathological conditions:

  1. klebsiella - an indicator of pneumonia, diseases of the digestive tract; urinary system;
  2. saprophytic staphylococcus - kidney infections;
  3. colibacillus, proteus - diseases of the intestinal tract.

Bacteriuria is a sign of infection of the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. It can be supplemented by symptoms such as pain when urinating, the appearance of an unpleasant odor in urine and a change in its transparency. Any of the infections can be accompanied by general malaise, fever. In such cases, bacteriological analysis facilitates the diagnosis and selection of the optimal therapy regimen. You can donate urine in a state medical institution and a private laboratory.

This diagnostic method reads more informative than PCR or ELISA examination. At the same time, an important factor is its lower cost in comparison with them.

Before you pass the culture for urine, in order to eliminate errors in decoding the results, you must take seriously the preparatory stage and the delivery of the material directly. Violations of any of them will complicate the determination of the titer of microorganisms in the sample.

To determine many hidden bacterial infections that occur during pregnancy, urine culture is examined. This research is carried out quite often in gynecology. This article will help expectant mothers to understand when a urine culture is prescribed and how to prepare well for it.


In what cases is it carried out?

It is possible to determine the causative agents of various infections of the urinary tract and kidneys only by conducting a bacteriological study of urine. This analysis is currently performed in almost every laboratory. You can donate urine for such a study both in a regular gynecological clinic and in a private medical center.

The risk of infection of the fetus with microbes is quite high. Bacteria, being rather small, perfectly penetrate the placental barrier. Getting into the systemic circulation of the fetus, they can lead to the development of various pathological conditions in him. The study of urine in this case allows you to identify such pathogens in a fairly short time.


This study may be prescribed to expectant mothers who have various diseases of the urinary organs and kidneys.

In this case, it is not at all necessary that these pathologies proceed in their stage of exacerbation. In some situations, even latent pyelonephritis can manifest itself as characteristic changes in the general analysis and bacterial culture of urine. In this case, as a rule, the appointment of special urological preparations is required to correct the arisen disorders.


Even with the physiological course of pregnancy, proceeding without various abnormalities, doctors may prescribe this study twice. They are necessary to exclude all "mute" pathologies that can lead to the development of various pathological conditions in the fetus. Usually this the examination is carried out at 9-12 and 35-36 weeks pregnancy.


If a pregnant woman suffers from diabetes for a long time, especially with a constantly high blood sugar level, then in this case, a bacteriological examination of urine may also be required. Persistent hyperglycemia can damage the kidney tissue. This condition is extremely unfavorable, especially during pregnancy.


A seeding tank can be prescribed by a doctor even if a protein was detected in the urine of a pregnant woman during the screening. In this situation, it is imperative to exclude chronic pyelonephritis in the expectant mother, which proceeds without pronounced clinical signs.

If a pregnant woman had urolithiasis before conception, then in this case, bacterial sowing will also not be superfluous. This disease is quite often accompanied by inflammation of the kidney tissue and urinary tract. A complication of this condition is the appearance of various pathogenic microbes in the urine. This can be easily determined by conducting a bacteriological study on a pregnant woman.



The emergence of suddenly developed severe soreness in the lower back, an increase in body temperature to febrile values, the development of severe edema on the body - all these symptoms also require an extended complex of diagnostics. It also includes bacterial sowing. Quite often, these adverse symptoms are the result of an exacerbation of pyelonephritis. In such a situation, an urgent consultation with a urologist and the appointment of uroseptic drugs that can be used during pregnancy are required.


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How to collect urine correctly?

Before taking a bacteriological test, it is very important to follow a few basic rules. They are necessary so that the result of the study performed is as informative as possible. Usually, gynecologists give small instructions and recommendations to pregnant women who come to their appointment on how to properly collect urine for research.



Dinner before urine collection should be made as easy as possible. You should not abuse fatty, fried or excessively salty foods. Such food can lead to the fact that the obtained test results may be inaccurate.

Any physical activity should be excluded before delivery of bacterial sowing. Only walking at a slow pace is allowed. It is better to postpone yoga classes for pregnant women, climbing stairs to several stairways at once or cleaning the apartment until after the procedure.


On the eve of the study, if possible, you should limit the intake of diuretics (diuretics). Before doing this, you must be sure to consult with your doctor... In some situations, this cannot be done, as unpleasant consequences may arise. However, taking diuretics can lead to the test result being somewhat inaccurate.


The drinking regime before the bacteriological sowing remains the same. Pregnant women who are about to get tested should not limit their intake of liquids.

The exception is women suffering from severe edema and gestosis. In this case, the use of liquid should be strictly dosed.


Hygiene of the external genital organs is an important point in preparation before conducting such an analysis. It should be remembered that when collecting material for bacterial sowing, compliance with hygiene rules plays an essential role.

Before taking fluid, be sure to rinse the external genitals well.... This can be done with ordinary running warm water. You should not boil water or use special antiseptic agents before collecting a urine sample for bacterial culture. After washing the genitals, they should be gently blotted with a clean, ironed towel.


Collect urine for research in the morning. Usually doctors recommend doing this immediately after waking up. The container in which urine will be collected should be as clean as possible. If it is possible to use a sterile container, it will be a great success. As a rule, such containers are used only in hospitals.

Currently, pharmacies sell special plastic containers in which you can collect urine for research. They are twisted with a special lid. This prevents the collected liquid from spilling during transportation to the laboratory or introducing additional microbes from the environment.


Many mothers bring urine collected in a glass jar from baby food for testing. This container is not suitable for collecting bacterial crops. This is explained by the very poor-quality processing of the dishes. Microscopic food debris left on the walls of such a jar can lead to the fact that after the study, unreliable results will be obtained.


Collect for research should be a medium portion... To do this, you must first urinate in the toilet. This is called primary urination. Usually 2-3 seconds are enough for the first portion to pass. At the same time, the next volume of released fluid is collected for research. It usually requires about 80 ml for analysis.

The next very important step is the transportation of the analysis to the laboratory. This should be done 1.5-2 hours after collectionbiological material. Longer transport times will cause the results to be inaccurate.


In the hospital setting of a medical institution, invasive urine collection methods are also carried out. These include suprapubic puncture as well as catheterization. These methods are quite traumatic and should only be performed by experienced professionals.

The wrong technique for performing these studies can cause various damage. Usually, the collection of analysis in this way is performed only in those situations where it is impossible to collect urine for research in the usual way. Typically, these cases occur with various previous trauma to the urethra.

Decoding

Most often, doctors try to detect various types of staphylococci, streptococci, anaerobic microorganisms, and fungal flora. Usually, these pathogens are quite well detected using urine bacterial culture. There are certain norms that apply at different periods of pregnancy. The attending physician will help to decipher the analysis performed.

As a rule, the bacteriological result is assessed using "+" and "-". These signs are placed near each type of investigated microorganisms. They indicate their presence or absence in the resulting sample. A high concentration of microbes can be expressed in two or three pluses. In this case, doctors say that this test is positive for a certain type of bacteria.


The “-” sign indicates that these microbes were not found in the obtained sample. This analysis is called negative.

For quantitative assessment, doctors use special units of measurement called colony-forming or CFU. They are calculated per 1 ml of the test liquid. Scientists believe that 1 CFU is one microorganism that contributed to the emergence of one large colony.

The results are assessed quantitatively. So, 1000-10000 CFU / ml indicates that the test result is doubtful. In this case, doctors will usually recommend that the pregnant woman retake this laboratory test.


Less than 1000 CFU indicates that there are no pathological abnormalities in the presented sample. Such tests are found in uncomplicated pregnancy, as well as in situations where the expectant mother does not have any signs of kidney and urinary tract diseases.

An increase in the indicator above 10,000 CFU / ml, as a rule, is an unfavorable sign. This situation develops in the presence of urinary tract infections or various kidney pathologies. In this case, a more detailed implementation of additional auxiliary diagnostic methods is required. Also, in such a situation, a pregnant woman must be sent for a consultation with a urologist.

Inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, urinary system - in almost all cases, the causative agents of these diseases are infectious microorganisms.

In order to identify which microbes are in the body, the level of their spread and sensitivity to antibiotics, it is doneurine culture tank.

Indications for the delivery of bacterial seeding

During the period of bearing a child, in the early stages, it is imperative to donate urine for bacteriological culture. Based on the results of this diagnosis, the doctor will be able to identify bacteria and microbes in the female body and prescribe treatment in time so that the infection does not threaten the intrauterine development of the fetus.

Diseases of the reproductive system and urinary system in a latent state or with mild symptoms, at the time of remission of these diseases.

Donate urine to the sowing tank in case of diabetes mellitus, it is necessary in order to timely identify the presence of microbes in the body and bacteria.

Laboratory studies of urine using the bacteriological culture method are necessary for such diseases:

  • chronic urethritis;
  • cystitis with recurrence in the chronic stage;
  • acute and chronic form of pyelonephritis;
  • paranephritis disease;
  • HIV.

Diagnosis of diseases of the genitourinary sphere and stages of examination


Before treating the organs of the urinary system and the genital area, it is necessary to diagnose and pass tests to determine the infection in the body. External examination of the patient cannot be a guarantee of the diagnosis. It is necessary, first of all, to visit the office of a venereologist, gynecologist and urologist who will examine the patient and send him for tests. Only after the pelvic organs have been examined, as well as the results of laboratory tests, it is possible to diagnose and prescribe treatment.

In order to establish the correct diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a number of studies.

Diagnosis of diseases of the genitourinary sphere is divided into several stages:

  • bacterioscopic examination;
  • bacteriological examination;
  • epidemiological history;

It is obligatory during the examination, it is necessary to carry out molecular biological tests:

  • PCR;
  • blood test by the method of enzyme immunoassay;
  • GEN PROBE.

Bacterioscopic examination method

Diagnostic studies of infectious diseases by the method of bacterioscopic examination of the material identifies Trichomonas, yeast-like fungi, diplococci, gonococci and other bacteria. The quality of diagnosis by this method depends on how much the patient was able toassemble correctly material for research.

Identifies bacteria by their properties, location among themselves and by the way they are colored.

The result of the bacterioscopic method.

A positive result is considered the result in which bacteria are found in epithelial cells and in leukocyte cells.

Bacteriological research method

According to the principle of this method, the material for research must be placed in a special environment and create normal conditions for its development. For the reproduction of bacteria, there are special containers with a nutrient medium for infections, viruses, fungi and bacteria.

The quality of diagnostics by a bacteriological method depends on how correctly it is collectedurine for research and timely sowing it into a nutrient medium.

Collected urine must be sown no later than 2 hours after picking. How to collect and how to properly pass urine to the sowing tank?

Technology of delivery of urine to the seeding tank

How to correctly donate urine to the sowing tank? Rules for passing urine analysis for bacterial culture:

  • urine analysis for bacteriological examination must be collected and handed over in a sterile special container. Containers for such tests are sold in pharmacies;
  • before, how to donate a urine culture tank, a couple of days before taking the analysis, it is advisable not to eat fatty, sour and smoked foods, pickles and salty foods, sweets, alcohol and refuse to take medications;
  • collect urine in the morning;
  • before collecting urine, it is necessary to wash the genitals with warm water, without using soap. You can rinse the genitals with a solution of furacilin;
  • urine culture tank how to pass - it is necessary to drain the first portion and the last portion of the urine, and the middle portion is collected for analysis. It contains the most microbes and bacteria, which improves the analysis result.

Timely and high-quality diagnostics is an opportunity to start drug treatment in a timely manner and prevent the transition of the disease to the chronic stage.

Microorganisms that are determined by bacteriological research

The seeding tank can be used to determine the presence of the following bacteria in the body:

  • streptococci;
  • staphylococcus aureus;
  • e. coli infection;
  • enterococcus bacteria;
  • staphylococcal bacteria;
  • klebsiella microbes;

These pathogenic microbes are sensitive to different groups of antibacterial drugs.

After youpassed urine to the tank sowing, it is possible, according to the results of the study, to determine which bacteria react to a specific group of antibiotics, you can find out using a urine culture tank.

Sowing tank during pregnancy

During the period of bearing a child, a future mother has a sowing tank - this is a mandatory analysis. Very often, only with the help of this method, infections that were in the body are detected without pronounced symptoms.

The seeding tank allows you to determine:

  • the presence of pathogenic bacteria;
  • the number of these bacteria in the body;
  • the level of pathogenicity of specific microorganisms;
  • the sensitivity of these microbes to antibiotics and antimicrobial drugs.

According to the results of this method, the doctor determines the safest medication course with drugs that will be effective and will not bring the risk of fetal development.

For the maximum and accurate result, in pregnant women, in addition to urine, an analysis is taken from the vagina and nose.

Timely diagnosis using this method can preserve the health of the unborn child.

Specificity of bacteriological research


Working with a seeding tank has a standard scheme:

  • examination under a microscope of sediment in the urine;
  • isolation of a culture of infectious agents from urine;
  • selection of a pure culture of infection;
  • research and study of the properties of bacteria;
  • identification of the causative agent of the disease;

With bacterial culture of urine, it is necessary to choose a habitat for specific groups of microbes:

  • blood agar is a culture medium for staphylococcus bacteria;
  • sugar syrup - a favorable environment for the life of staphylococcal bacteria;
  • saburo is a medium for the development of fungi.

Very often, microorganisms are inoculated on all three media at the same time. Sowing is done with a special loop, a laboratory spatula or a swab soaked in the biological material of a sick person.

A positive indicator of this method for studying the composition of urine is:

  • important information that is obtained about the causative agent of the disease;
  • determination of sensitivity to groups of antibacterial agents for treatment;
  • clear control of the duration of drug therapy.

The negative indicators of this research method are:

  • difficulty in obtaining good biological material for this method, it is difficult to collect correctlyurine for sowing;
  • the minimum time for sowing biological material;
  • long period of obtaining test results.

Only the correct actions of patients when collecting urine for analysis can provide the most accurate result of a biological study.

Bacterial culture is a method for examining urine for the presence of pathogenic microflora and its varieties. Such a study allows you to determine the degree of infection of the ureteral organs of the body. This analysis also includes a study that determines the degree of susceptibility of the identified microorganisms to various antibacterial drugs. All this in combination, allows you to prescribe the most effective course of antimicrobial therapy.

It is customary to collect urine culture for accurate diagnosis of the patient's clinical condition, as well as in the process of medical therapy, for intermediate monitoring of its results. In this case, the analysis is carried out no earlier than 5 days after the end of the use of antibiotics.

Urine culture or microbiological analysis is effective for diagnosing the nature of inflammatory processes in the urinary system. A study of this type allows the attending physician to clearly determine which kind of microorganisms have the greatest influence on the progress of the disease.

During bacterial sowing, the following factors are studied:

  • Type of microflora;
  • The regularity and frequency of its allocation;
  • The level of damage by microorganisms - the degree of development of bacteriuria;
  • Influence of antiseptics and antibiotics on isolated cultures.

The study of the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics is a mandatory part of the study if pathogenic microorganisms are found in the urine.

Sowing urine for microflora, with obvious inflammatory processes, most often shows the presence of microorganisms of the following types:

  • Staphylococci, streptococci and enterococci;
  • Escherichs;
  • Klebsiella;
  • Proteus;
  • Yeast-like fungi;
  • Candida.

Microbiological study gave a positive result - what does this mean?

Healthy urine is completely devoid of the presence of microorganisms in it - it is sterile. However, its bacteriological study always reveals microflora to one degree or another. This is due to the ingress of microorganisms from the skin, genitals and urethra into the studied urine sample, where they are always present.

The kidneys and upper urinary canals, up to a third of the lower part of the urethra, are normally sterile, but below, the presence of microorganisms is quite natural and harmless, although under one condition - there are no obvious symptoms of the disease.

With pronounced bacteriuria, the growth of colonies of any one type of bacteria is detected. If the bacterial culture reveals more than one type of microorganism, most likely, this is the result of third-party clogging of the urine sample. In this case, to clarify the results, it will be correct to collect a urine sample for re-examination, while observing hygiene procedures with special care. Re-analysis is also necessary in case of doubts about the results of the analysis. If you cannot get reliable midpoint urine results, you may need to collect urine using a suprapubic puncture procedure. This method is indispensable for unclear clinical symptoms of the disease due to the detection of a small number of microorganisms and in the case of polymicrobial infection.

Preparation for microbiological research

Since the essence of the analysis is to determine the degree of infection of the urinary system, special attention must be paid to hygiene, otherwise third-party microorganisms that enter the urine sample will distort the results. In the best case, you will have to take the analysis again, and in the worst case - incorrect diagnosis and therapy that has nothing to do with the true state of your body. The latter is likely, especially if the attending physician is young and inexperienced.

Collecting a sample for analysis:

  • First of all, the container is being prepared. It will be correct to use a special plastic container from a pharmacy;
  • Before collecting urine, you need to thoroughly wash and disinfect the outer area of \u200b\u200bthe urethra by wiping it with a cotton swab or napkin dipped in an antiseptic;
  • For analysis, take the average portion of urine released in the morning after sleep. The first part is lowered into the toilet, then about 10 ml of urine is collected into the container, without touching its neck and inside. It is better to do this with sterile gloves;
  • The container is tightly closed and sent to the laboratory as soon as possible - no later than 2 hours after collection of the sample.

It is allowed to collect crops throughout the day, provided that at least 2 hours have passed since the morning urination. Patients who are suspected of having tuberculosis, urine collection is carried out according to the same principles, but for three days in a row. If a patient has a stationary catheter, before collecting urine, it is pinched, disinfected with ethyl alcohol and a sterile needle, pierced the catheter and collecting 5 ml of urine, after which it is poured into a prepared container.

There are no contraindications in the diet on the eve of bacterial sowing. You can eat any food, but with regard to medications, antibiotics, antimicrobials and diuretics distort the results. Therefore, it is recommended to donate urine sowing for flora no earlier than 5-7 days from the date of receipt of these funds.

Reference indicators

The degree of infection with microorganisms is the level of bacteriuria, expressed by the number of detected pathogenic bacteria per 1 ml of urine fluid, abbreviated as CFU. Most experts interpret CFU as follows:

  • The etiological significance of the identified organism is accepted when its isolation is\u003e 10 5 CFU / ml in monoculture and titer. This significance remains even if there are no obvious symptoms of infection of the ureteral system;
  • In subjects with diseases - urethritis, cystitis of acute forms, the etiological significance of the culture is accepted if its amount in a monoculture and a low titer of 10 2 CFU / ml or more. The same applies to situations of infectious lesions of the urethral tract, their upper sections and in the case of inoculation against the background of the use of drugs that inhibit bacteria;
  • In titers, 10 5 CFU / ml and more have etiological significance in cases of recurrent or chronic infectious lesions, but only on the condition that the identified microorganisms are not contaminants.
  • If the study shows more than 10 4 CFU / ml of more than 2 species of organisms, the analysis is considered unreliable and requires re-conducting.

Some experts adhere to several other interpretations. For example, 10 3 -10 5 CFU / ml of one type of bacteria is considered to be highly probable bacteriuria, and a CFU index less than 10 3 of a detected culture in a mid-morning urine sample is taken as a false positive result and is considered a third-party contamination of the sample. Dysurric syndrome in women with an acute form of its course makes it possible to diagnose bacteriuria even at 10 2 CFU / ml.

The reliability of the seeding tank is far from unambiguous and depends not only on the state of infection, but also on the gender. A single study of urine for microflora is almost 100% reliable in men, but in women, due to the difference in their physiology, no more than 80%.

If there are no clear clinical symptoms of the disease, repeated analysis in women increases the reliability of its results to 90%, and the third gives an almost 100% reliable result. However, this is true only in the case of isolation of the same cultures of microorganisms.

Factors that greatly reduce the reliability of the study

There are three errors most commonly encountered with urine culture tank:

  • Most often, distorted inoculation results occur due to insufficient hygiene in the collection of an analysis sample, which leads to its contamination;
  • Often, patients forget to indicate that they underwent a course of antibiotic therapy or took antibiotics, which also greatly changes the results of the analysis;
  • Long-term storage of the sample, especially at high temperatures, causes the growth of microorganisms contained in it. At the same time, sowing commensals grow rapidly, and pathogenic microorganisms show poor growth.

Bacteriological culture (bacteriological culture) of urine is a common and high-precision type of laboratory examination of urine. It is aimed at detecting infection in the urinary tract and identifying the pathogen. Urine analysis for bacterial culture involves an assessment of the level of bacteriuria, that is, the concentration of microorganisms. The urine excreted by the body is not a sterile fluid. Most bacteria end up in the discharge in the lower part of the urethra (urethra). The healthy microflora of the urethra is streptococci, some staphylococci and diphtheroids. These bacteria are normally non-pathogenic and harmless to humans. And the concentration of microorganisms in the urine is quite low. More bacteria can be detected with an incorrect test or urinary tract infection.

How is bacteriuria determined

The study is quite lengthy and requires high-quality sampling of material. For bacterial urine culture, an average morning urine portion (3-10 ml) is used, collected in a sterile disposable container. Collecting urine for analysis for bacterial culture is carried out after a thorough toilet of the genitals. The collected urine should be delivered to the laboratory within the next 2 hours. There, biological material is placed in special containers containing nutrients for bacteria (sugar broth, agar-agar). If colonies of microorganisms do not appear after a certain time, then the result of the urine culture test is considered negative. If a large number of bacteria or fungi multiply in the environment, then the result is positive. The concentration of microorganisms is estimated in colony forming units (CFU). Most often, when an infection is detected, an antibiogram is then performed (determining the sensitivity of microorganisms to drugs). The results of urine analysis for bacterial culture are ready in 5-7 days.

Indications for urine culture

The analysis is prescribed by the attending physician (therapist, nephrologist, endocrinologist). Indications may include urinary tract infection, control of treatment, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, immunodeficiency states, flora insensitivity to conventional treatment regimens.

Urine culture during pregnancy

Urine culture is taken twice during pregnancy. The first time when registering, and the second - at 36 weeks of gestation. If there are indications (protein and leukocytes in the general analysis of urine, diseases of the urinary tract), then the analysis may be prescribed more often. Even if a woman has no complaints, urine culture during pregnancy sometimes reveals the presence of pathogenic flora - asymptomatic bacteriuria. This condition must be treated to avoid complications for the mother and baby.

Decoding of urine culture

A colony-forming unit is a single living microbial cell (or group of cells) that causes the growth of a visible colony of microorganisms. If the detected number of bacteria is up to 1000 CFU / ml, then this indicates an accidental ingress of microbes into the urine sample from the external genital organs. No treatment required. If the number of microorganisms is equal to or exceeds 100,000 CFU / ml, then we can talk about the connection of inflammation with this particular infection. It is necessary to carry out treatment with a course of antibiotics. With an intermediate result of 1000-10,000 CFU / ml, urinalysis for bacterial culture is questionable, and a second study is required. If the test is positive, the report lists specific microorganisms. These can be bacteria, fungi, protozoa. If an antibiogram was performed, then the results of the sensitivity of microorganisms to specific drugs are given. The sensitivity of microorganisms is important when choosing a rational antibiotic therapy. Decoding of urine culture is carried out by the attending physician. Based on the results, further examination and treatment is prescribed.

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