Laboratory analysis of a urine culture tank during pregnancy: why is it prescribed? How to pass correctly

12.08.2019

Bacteriological culture of urine (or tank culture) is necessary for the detection and identification of causative agents of urinary infections, with further determination of the sensitivity of harmful bacteria to antibiotics.

The sowing tank during pregnancy is surrendered twice - when registering and before childbirth (somewhere at 36 weeks of pregnancy). If leukocytes and / or protein are found in the general analysis of urine, as well as in diseases of the kidneys and bladder, the delivery of urine to the tank is more often prescribed.

In the treatment of urological infectious diseases, for control, a second urine culture tank is prescribed a week after the withdrawal of the antibiotic or uroseptic.

Urine collection container

Why do I need to take a urine culture tank during pregnancy?

Urine culture is one of the most important tests during pregnancy, therefore it is included in the list of mandatory tests during pregnancy. Even with a good general analysis of urine, with the help of a culture tank, it is possible to find a chronic or latent (asymptomatic) form of one or another infectious disease of the urinary-renal system. It is better to prevent the development of the disease than to treat an advanced stage of the disease, at the risk of giving birth to an unhealthy child or even losing it.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurs in approximately 6% of pregnant women with a normal urinalysis. In such analyzes, a significant increase in Escherichia coli (Escherichia coli), Enterococcus faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis), Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus), Candida-type fungi and others are most often found.

In the absence or delayed treatment, the infection spreads further, affecting the kidneys. Then pyelonephritis begins - inflammation of the kidneys of bacterial etiology.

Pyelonephritis can occur under two conditions: 1) bacteria spread from the site of infection further, reaching the kidneys; 2) the number of pathogenic bacteria, which are present in every organism in an insignificant number, begins to increase under conditions favorable for reproduction, for example, with a decrease in immunity "plus" stagnation of urine.

Pyelonephritis during pregnancy most often occurs due to:

a decrease in the tone of the ureters and an increase in their length and width under the influence of pregnancy hormones, which can lead to stagnation of urine, where pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop;
enlargement of the uterus, which can lead to compression of the urinary tract (especially often this picture is observed in pregnant women with a narrow pelvis), which also causes stagnation of urine;
hormonal changes during pregnancy, which can lead to the expansion of the ovarian veins, compressing the ureter, thereby disrupting the outflow of urine, etc.

Pyelonephritis can cause intrauterine infection of the fetus, spontaneous abortion, and in the third trimester, the cause of premature birth. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out treatment on time in order to preserve the health of the baby. During pregnancy, a gentle antibiotic is usually prescribed for the treatment of pyelonephritis, for example, Amoxiclav or Monural, in combination with an antispasmodic, sedative collection, vitamins of group B, PP and C.

How to properly collect urine for analysis on the culture tank?

Often the test results are distorted due to improper collection of urine. Prepare a sterile, dry container with a tight-fitting lid (preferably transparent) for collecting analyzes. Special jars for collecting urine tests can be purchased at pharmacies for almost a penny price.

Immediately before the collection of urine itself, it is necessary to carefully conduct the toilet of the external genital organs using toilet soap. It is recommended for pregnant women to cover the entrance to the vagina with a piece of sterile cotton wool when collecting urine, so that nothing can be brought into the collection of urine from the genital tract. Be sure to wash your hands too to avoid accidentally transferring bacteria from your hands.

For the study, it is necessary to collect an average portion of morning urine (released immediately after waking up) in an amount of at least 70 ml. To do this, you must skip the first and last stream of urine when urinating. Those. start urinating, then hold back the flow and substitute the jar, continue urinating into the jar, by the end of the process stop the flow again, set the jar aside by screwing the lid on, and stop urinating.

The urine analysis must be submitted to the laboratory within 1.5-2 hours after its collection.

Remember that for a day or two before the urine test, it is not recommended to eat foods that can stain urine, for example, beets and carrots, as well as diuretics and other drugs that can affect the test result.

Please note that excessive physical activity can increase the concentration of protein in the urine, therefore, one day before taking the test, reduce physical activity to a minimum.

Decoding urine culture tank during pregnancy

In the body of a healthy person, all kinds of pathogenic microbes and bacilli are present, but in small quantities. Treatment is necessary only in case of an increase in their growth, since the reproduction of harmful microorganisms entails the appearance of various kinds of diseases.

Refusal of treatment threatens with serious consequences not only for her own health, but also for the health of the baby, which the woman wears under her heart. Therefore, during pregnancy, a urine culture tank must be prescribed.

In the results of the urine culture tank, the presence ("+") or absence ("-") of the growth of harmful microorganisms is noted. If the growth of bacteria is nevertheless detected, then the laboratory assistant immediately conducts a study to determine the sensitivity of bacteria to different types of antibiotics - an antibiogram.

Measurement value of the number of microorganisms - CFU / ml.

CFU (colony-forming units) is one cell of a microbe, which over time will turn into a colony of such cells.

And if a gynecologist says that a pregnant woman has a bad urine culture tank, then this means that an increase in infectious agents has been detected. Treatment is carried out with antibiotics, and not just Canephron or cranberry juice. In addition to antibiotic therapy, other drugs may be prescribed.
Usually, with a bad urine culture tank, an ultrasound of the kidneys and a smear from the urethra are additionally prescribed to determine the disease and prescribe its correct treatment.

Women in a position need to undergo a whole range of tests throughout their pregnancy. A variety of laboratory tests allow you to quickly and timely detect pathological processes in the body. A urine culture tank during pregnancy is prescribed when registering, before childbirth, for diseases of the genitourinary system. This analysis is one of the main and effective studies of the urine of the expectant mother.

With its help, it is possible to identify and identify the causative agents of urinary infection, as well as to determine the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibiotics. Pathology can be present for a long time and asymptomatic in the maternal body, and become more active during pregnancy. In such cases, only a urine culture tank will help detect the pathogen. Based on the results of the analysis, doctors determine the onset of the development of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the woman.

Reasons to donate a urine culture tank

Analysis of urine for a culture tank during pregnancy helps to find a chronic or latent form of an infectious disease of the genitourinary system. The study is carried out without fail for all women, including those who do not complain about their health and feel well.

In the absence of timely treatment, the infection spreads further, capturing the renal structures. As a result, a pregnant woman develops pyelonephritis - inflammation of the kidneys of a bacterial type. This disease also occurs when the number of pathogenic microorganisms increases due to a decrease in immunity and stagnation of urine in the bladder.

Pyelonephritis often causes intrauterine infection of a child, leads to spontaneous abortion, and in the third trimester causes premature birth.

An obstetrician-gynecologist must prescribe a bacteriological urine test for the expectant mother if:

Slightly, but steadily, her body temperature rises.
The pregnant woman is worried about cramps and itching when urinating.
Dull, aching painful sensations appear in the lumbar region and in the lower abdomen.
There is a frequent urge to empty the bladder, often false or with minimal discharge.

It is better to cure the disease at the incubation stage, to undergo safe and effective therapy, so as not to risk the health of the woman and the fetus. If even before conception there were diseases of the urinary system in the body, then during pregnancy a bacteriological test should be taken much more often.

Indications for analysis

Women in the position are assigned general laboratory urine tests on a monthly basis. A pregnant woman is sent to the culture tank when an increased level of leukocytes, sugar, erythrocytes, protein or bacteria is detected in urine.

During the course of possible treatment, the patient needs to take the sowing tank several times so that the doctor can control the healing process over time. Also, pregnant women undergo this type of diagnosis:

with hereditary pathologies;
working in hazardous production;
with past abortions;
having children with congenital disabilities;
in a related marriage.

The purpose of the analysis is to determine the nature of the pathogenic agent and its prevalence. This is necessary for optimal therapy to restore microflora in the birth canal and relieve the inflammatory process.

Preparation for research

In order for the results of bacterial culture of urine during pregnancy to be of high quality and reliable, you need to properly prepare and collect urine. For the study, you will need an average portion of morning urine with a volume of at least 50 ml.

During pregnancy, the amount of discharge increases. Therefore, it is recommended for a woman to cover the entrance to the vagina with a cotton swab or cotton swab so that nothing gets from the genital tract into the glass with the collected fluid. Otherwise, foreign microorganisms will end up in the container and the results will be incorrect. For this study, it is preferable to collect urine in a special sterile container, which is sold in any pharmacy.

A few days before collecting the sowing tank, the expectant mother must adhere to the following rules:

Do not overwork and get a good night's sleep.
Avoid stressful situations.
Exclude sexual intercourse.
Stop taking diuretics and other medications.
Do not eat fatty, spicy, spicy, sour foods.
Do not drink compotes, fruit drinks, smoothies, you can only drink water or weak tea.
Do not eat citrus fruits, exotic fruits.
Refuse pickled foods (pickles, sauerkraut - a favorite treat for pregnant women).

The analysis must be handed over to the laboratory no later than 2 hours after collection. It is done from 4 to 7 days, which is why it is considered one of the longest.

Interpretation of analysis results

In the laboratory, test tubes with biomaterial are placed in a thermostat. There, favorable conditions for the vital activity of bacteria are maintained, that is, "growing" is carried out. In the process of diagnostics, the main types of microorganisms or their absence are determined. The collected data is decrypted only by a specialist bacteriologist.

The measurement value of pathogenic pathogens is determined in CFU / ml. The indicator indicates one cell of the microbe, which will then turn into a large colony.

When the number of microorganisms in the decoding of the seeding tank is less than 1000 CFU / ml, then there is no threat to the pregnant woman. This is considered the norm for the body, and the woman is absolutely healthy. If the indicators are in the range of 1000-100000 CFU / ml, such a result is regarded by doctors as doubtful. Therefore, the expectant mother is sent for examination again.

Indicators over 100,000 CFU / ml signal the presence of an infection requiring urgent treatment. If the growth of harmful microbes is detected, a study is carried out to determine their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs - an antibioticogram.

Results on the form are indicated by the following letters:

S - good sensitivity;
I - moderate resistance;
R is absolute antibiotic resistance.

When the test results are poor, the pregnant woman is treated with antibacterial medicines with the S or I sign, and group R drugs are ineffective in such cases.

Poor Result Actions

Bacteriological examination of urine is a reliable source of information about the state of health of a pregnant woman. Thanks to this diagnostic method, doctors manage to detect the dangerous course of the disease in time, prevent it and minimize the risks of infection of the fetus.

A urine culture tank can show the presence of cystitis in a woman. Infection in a short time affects the bladder, disrupting its work. The main causes of this disease are bacterial vaginosis, weakening of the immune system, and changes in hormonal levels. During gestation, cystitis must be treated without delay, because it is very dangerous for mother and child.

Poor urine culture tank test results can also indicate inflammation of the urethra. This condition of a pregnant woman is caused by urethritis. Factors contributing to the development of the disease: urological infections, allergic reactions, impaired blood flow to the pelvic organs, lack of fluid, insufficient intimate hygiene.

Infection threatens to complicate the course of pregnancy, leads to various pathologies of fetal development and the occurrence of placental insufficiency. During childbirth, the baby, passing through the inflamed pathways, may develop pneumonia or conjunctivitis. Urethritis is treated with gentle, but quite effective drugs.

Physiological mechanisms leading to kidney inflammation

Poor seeding tank results indicate the spread of infection in the kidneys of the pregnant woman. This is very dangerous for the expectant mother, as the filtration function of the organ is disrupted. Renal failure leads to a malfunction of the water-salt balance, to a delay in the body of toxic substances and decay products. During pregnancy, there is an increased risk of kidney inflammation, which is associated with physiological mechanisms.

Due to changes in the hormonal balance, the tone of the muscles of the ureters decreases, and fluid stagnation occurs. Consequently, conditions are created for the development of pathogenic bacteria. The expansion of the ovarian veins during pregnancy contributes to the violation of the outflow of urine. In the second trimester, the overgrown uterus compresses the urinary tract, which also leads to congestion.

Women with a narrow pelvis are more likely to suffer from this ailment.

Intrauterine infection

Renal inflammation of a pregnant woman has a negative effect on the condition of the fetus and has a bad effect on the well-being of the expectant mother. The outcome of intrauterine infection depends on:

type of bacterial pathogen;
maternal immunity;
the integrity of the placental barrier;
sensitivity of pathogenic microbes to fetal tissues;
the term of pregnancy at which the infection occurred;
the presence of chronic diseases in a woman.

The main pathogenscontributing to intrauterine infection:

colibacillus;
staphylococcus aureus;
enterococcus;
mushrooms of the genus Candida.

trypanosomes, Trichomonas, toxoplasma;
rubella, herpes, hepatitis, smallpox.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria

Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurs in almost 10% of pregnant women with normal urinalysis. This condition is called a latent urinary tract infection.

This disease leads to an involuntary termination of pregnancy, to a violation of the development of the fetus against the background of severe intoxication, up to its intrauterine death. Therefore, time with treatment is strictly prohibited, and you need to do everything that the doctor recommended.

Expectant mothers cannot self-medicate, as this will only aggravate the situation and the course of the disease.

No alternative methods of treatment will save a pregnant woman from the consequences of bacterial lesions of the genitourinary organs. Therapy is mandatory for women in position in all trimesters of pregnancy.

If, after the delivery of the urine culture tank, significant deviations were identified, the pregnant woman is prescribed appropriate therapy. The use of modern drugs ensures the complete recovery of the expectant mother, regardless of the degree of infection.

Thus, the correct approach to the treatment of diseases of the urogenital system of a woman eliminates the risks of infection of the fetus and prevents the occurrence of complications. Urine culture tank is a mandatory measure during pregnancy, and is not a whim of doctors.

Classmates

Over the past 15 years, there has been a clear trend towards an increase in intrauterine infection, which leads to the death of the fetus. Studies have shown that in 45% of cases, the cause of death of newborns is precisely intrauterine infection.

The fetus receives pathogenic microbes from the mother through the placental membranes or hematogenous, that is, through the blood and blood vessels.

About 60% of pregnant women with revealed fetal pathology have a latent form of urogenital diseases. Infection without any manifestations is present in the mother's body and is activated during pregnancy. For this reason, it is so important to conduct appropriate surveys.

Why do you need to take a urine culture tank during pregnancy?

The main purpose of this laboratory analysis is the detection of bacteria in the organs of the genitourinary system of a pregnant woman, which, under the coincidence of circumstances, can become the "culprits" of pathogenic processes.

A general analysis of urine is often not able to reveal the latent form of any disease, as well as to accurately determine the type of microbes present.

It is important to stop taking any medications. Otherwise, the analysis result will be inaccurate. It is strictly forbidden to take the sowing tank during menstruation. Try to minimize physical activity, because they can also change the composition of urine.

Urine collection is carried out in the morning. The following action plan must be adhered to:

Wake up early in the morning and take a warm shower.
Wash off with boiled water, preferably without using soap or gel.
For the seeding tank, the average portion of urine is taken. Send the first portion of urine to the toilet, then urinate into the jar, and send the last portion of urine back to the toilet. For bacteriological examination, it is necessary to provide 4-5 ml of urine.

It is advisable to take the material for research to the clinic immediately after collection, but if this does not work out, then it's okay. A tightly closed container should be placed in the refrigerator, but it should stand there for a maximum of eight hours.

Within 6-8 days after visiting the clinic, you will be informed of the test results.

Decoding the results

Even a healthy person has pathogenic microbes, but their number is within the normal range. Treatment is required only if their number increases, since uncontrolled reproduction can provoke the occurrence of various diseases. Refusal of therapy increases the risk of serious consequences for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.

In the transcripts of urine culture, the absence ("-") or the presence ("+") of the growth of pathogenic bacteria during pregnancy is noted. If an increase in the number of microorganisms is nevertheless detected, then the specialist immediately conducts a test to determine the resistance of microbes to different types of antibiotics - an antibiogram.

The measure of the number of microorganisms is CFU / ml. CFU denotes the number of microbes that are capable of transforming over time into a whole colony of similar cells. Normally, this value should be no more than 105 per 1 ml, and for a pregnant woman - no more than 102. Excess indicates an infection of the urinary system or bacteriuria.

If the doctor claims that a woman has a bad urine culture tank, then this means that there is an increase in infectious agents. In this case, the gynecologist additionally directs the patient for an ultrasound examination of the kidneys and a gynecological smear in order to identify the disease and begin its therapy.

Treatment is carried out with various medications. It is prohibited to be treated with folk remedies alone. Before using them, you must consult a doctor.

On a separate form of the antibioticogram, icons are placed that reflect the resistance of the identified bacteria to antibiotics:

S - means increased sensitivity;
I - a sign that microorganisms are moderately resistant;
R - absolute resistance to antibacterial drugs.

An example of the result of a bacteriological examination:

Conclusion

Bacteriological examination is absolutely safe, does not require intricate manipulations and shows highly accurate results. Pregnant women should definitely donate urine to the sowing tank in order to promptly diagnose inflammatory and infectious processes. When pathogenic bacteria are detected, the doctor conducts therapy, prescribing safe medicines.

Among other things, experts advise taking a urine culture before pregnancy, that is, when planning it. This is necessary to minimize risks to the mother and fetus during the gestation stage.

A long-awaited pregnancy is a great joy for a woman. Of course, the expectant mother wants her baby to be born healthy. To do this, a woman registers with an antenatal clinic. Here she is regularly examined and mandatory tests are prescribed.

Unfortunately, many diseases are transmitted from mother to child in utero. Therefore, a woman in a position must carefully take care of her health, follow all the prescriptions of a gynecologist.

It has been found that about 45% of newborn deaths are caused by intrauterine infection.

The child is rewarded with it by a mother who either does not know that an infection lives in her body, or does not receive proper treatment. In this case, a special role is assigned to infections of the genitourinary system, since they are often asymptomatic. For example, if a mother suffers from urethritis, then when passing through an infected birth canal, the child may already be born with pneumonia or conjunctivitis.

Bacteriological culture of urine will help to identify these diseases, which is included in the list of mandatory examinations of a pregnant woman.

What it is?

Bacteriological urine culture is a study that allows you to identify the presence of pathogenic flora in the urine and, therefore, the disease itself. This analysis allows you to diagnose diseases of the genitourinary system. The organs of the mother and the child are closely interconnected by the blood and lymph vessels, so the infection "walks" back and forth, balancing between these two systems.

Bacterial culture allows not only to determine the pathogen, but also to establish its type, as well as to determine its sensitivity to antibiotics in order to prescribe an effective treatment.

This study can determine the presence of such microorganisms:

colibacillus;
pseudomonas aeruginosa - causes purulent infections. It is characterized by increased resistance to antibiotics;
staphylococcus aureus. Its favorite habitat is the mucous membrane of the genitals. Causes diseases of the urinary tract;
streptococcus;
trichomonas;

gardnerella;
gonococcus;
proteus;
citrobacter;
leptotrix;
klebsiella - is the cause of cystitis and pyelonephritis;

When should you take it?

The insidiousness of a urinary tract infection is that there may be no signs of the disease, and the pathogen is already present in the analyzes. That is, the disease has a latent course. Latent bacteremia is confirmed by the following indicators:

after 2-fold analysis in compliance with the execution technique, 1 type of pathogen is sown;
CFU - more than 105;
if urine was collected with a catheter, then the CFU is 102.

In this regard, all pregnant women are prescribed to pass urine for bacteriological examination twice during pregnancy - when registering and at the 9th month of pregnancy. This is a preventive measure so as not to miss the development of the disease. Sometimes it happens that hidden processes in the body of a pregnant woman are not reflected in any way in the general analysis of urine. And only sowing can reveal them.

If the latent form is not detected in time, it will turn into an obvious disease with severe consequences for both the mother and the fetus.

An unscheduled test is carried out if:

a general analysis of urine showed the presence of leukocytes and protein;
a woman has diabetes mellitus;
with HIV infection;
painful urination occurs;
increased body temperature;

soreness in the lower abdomen;
back pain;
feeling of residual urine in the bladder after emptying;
to control the treatment carried out;
the presence of pathologies in a woman from the genitourinary system before pregnancy.

It is mandatory to submit urine for bacterial culture during in vitro fertilization.

During pregnancy, diseases of the genitourinary system often occur. This is facilitated by the following factors:

variability of hormonal levels. At the same time, various infections can "flourish";
decreased immune properties of the body;
the enlarged uterus compresses the ureter, and it loses its tone;
the uterus in a state of pregnancy takes up some of the blood flow, which reduces blood circulation in the bladder.

All this causes stagnant processes of the urinary system. Bacteria from the external genital organs along the ascending pathways enter the kidneys, increasing the risk of developing pyelonephritis.

Pyelonephritis is an extremely serious disease that is dangerous for a pregnant woman. It is manifested by high fever, sharp pain in the lower back, and leads to intoxication of the whole organism. For the mother, untreated pyelonephritis threatens renal failure and premature birth.

Bacteria and their toxins enter the fetus through the placenta and can cause its death in the womb. If, nevertheless, such a child is born, he is diagnosed with an intrauterine infection, damage to internal organs and developmental defects.

In addition to pyelonephritis, cystitis may develop. This is an inflammation of the bladder wall. In this case, there are frequent and painful urination, a feeling of compression in the lower abdomen. It can cause kidney infections and premature birth.

Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra. At an early stage, the disease can be detected only with the help of tests. In the future, it manifests itself as painful urination, swelling of the labia, and the presence of discharge.

All these diseases will help determine the bacteriological analysis of urine.

How to properly collect material for research?

For the analysis to be truly informative, it is necessary to correctly collect the urine. To do this, follow the instructions:

2 days before the examination, stop taking fatty and salty foods, as well as diuretics. Setting candles is not recommended. Eliminate the intake of coloring food: beets or carrots;
only morning urine is taken for analysis;
do not collect biomaterial from a urine bag or vessel. The dishes must be sterile. It is better to purchase a special container at a pharmacy;

before passing the analysis, a toilet of the external genital organs is performed;
a midstream urine should be collected. To do this, the first portion is released into the toilet, the middle portion into a container, and the last portion is poured back into the toilet. The procedure should be carried out carefully, without touching the inner walls of the container with your fingers and skin;
the study requires at least 60 ml of liquid. After taking the material, the tank is tightly closed and no longer opened;
urine must be passed to the laboratory within 2 hours. Although it can be stored in the refrigerator for 8 hours;
bacterial culture should be taken before starting antibiotic therapy.

You can also collect urine using a catheter. But this method is not always appropriate, as it can spread the infection. In rare cases, a puncture of the bladder is performed. The most important rule when collecting urine for bacteriological research is to maintain sterility and quickly deliver the material to the laboratory.

After receiving the jar, the laboratory assistant immediately proceeds to examine its contents. We cannot hesitate with this, as the risk of developing bacteria in the material increases, which enter it from the external environment, in which case the result will be false.

The researcher places a few drops of urine on the nutrient medium. Usually saburo or agar is used. Then the media are placed in a thermostat. Since the purpose of the study is to grow and see bacteria, if they are in the urine, then for this they should create optimal conditions. The thermostat is the right place. It maintains exactly the temperature at which the growth of microorganisms is noted.

The time it takes to conduct the research is 5-7 days. This is the optimal time for bacteria to grow.

After the expiration of the time, the medium is removed from the thermostat and the result is evaluated.

Decoding the results

It should be noted that normally a certain amount of bacteria can be sown in the urine, for example, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, but they should not exceed a certain titer.

The result is assessed by a bacteriologist. The calculated value is the colony forming unit - CFU. The assessment goes like this:

if the indicator is less than 1000 CFU, the result is negative;
from 1,000 CFU to 10,000 CFU - doubtful. The analysis is reassigned;
more than 10,000 CFU - positive.

The doctor puts down signs "+" or "-" in the form with a list of pathogens in front of each position. If the result is positive, then an antibioticogram is performed immediately. It will show you which antibiotic should be used for treatment.

After a woman is registered for pregnancy, she has to pass a large number of tests, undergo many studies, and visit many specialists. And all so that the doctor leading the pregnancy could make sure that neither the mother nor her child is threatened by any diseases.

What tests do they take?

To make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding without pathologies, visual examination and diagnostic tests (for example, ultrasound) are not enough. Indeed, many diseases can only be shown by blood tests, urine tests, a smear from the vagina.

The list of tests that are required in the antenatal clinic is known to many:

A clinical blood test shows the content of the main cells in it (you can estimate the number of immature forms, the leukocyte formula, and its shift), as well as the amount of hemoglobin (important for the diagnosis of anemia) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (it can increase with various processes in the body, accompanied by inflammation, and during pregnancy).
A biochemical blood test allows you to assess the correct functioning of the internal organs.
A coagulogram evaluates blood clotting indicators.
General urine analysis. Evaluation of color, density, acidity and sediment is made.
Screening for infections (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis). It is carried out at least 3 times during pregnancy, upon registration, in the middle of the second trimester and a couple of weeks before childbirth.
Determination of antibodies in the blood to infectious diseases that threaten the development of the child (toxoplasmosis, rubella).
Blood test for chromosomal diseases (assessed in conjunction with the data of the first screening ultrasound).
Study of the hormonal background of a pregnant woman (hormones of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, adrenal glands) according to indications.
A smear for microflora from the vagina, cervical canal, as well as a smear for oncocytology.
Bacteriological urine culture. Produced, as a rule, for pathogenic environments.

All these analyzes will allow timely detection of pathology in the mother, which can affect the development of the fetus.

In order for the interpretation of the analyzes to be correct, all manipulations are necessarily carried out under sterile conditions.

Bacteriological analysis of urine

A urine culture tank in medicine is called a study that helps to determine which microbes are in the woman's vagina, whether there are pathogens, their number. The analysis also makes it possible to find out the sensitivity to all kinds of drugs - this will allow the doctor to choose a more effective drug treatment.

Urine culture during pregnancy is usually performed twice: immediately after the girl is registered, and also closer to childbirth, at a period of approximately 36–37 weeks. But, if necessary, it can be performed more often. For example, if in the next general analysis of urine, an increased content of leukocytes and epithelial cells is detected. Also, several times during all 9 months, pregnant women with problem kidneys or a painful bladder have to be tested.

The study is laborious and expensive, since it requires special equipment, as well as special nutrient media. It should be performed by a qualified laboratory assistant or microbiologist (the same specialist deciphers the analysis).

Since the urine culture tank is not a cheap analysis, if abnormalities are found in the usual urine analysis, it is recommended to first retake it, and only then conduct a more in-depth examination of the patient.

Analysis rules

As practice shows, not all women know how to properly collect urine for analysis. As a result, its results will be unreliable, they will not show the true state of the body.

How to take a urine test correctly:

A couple of days before the expected delivery of the analysis, it is necessary to exclude from the diet food products that can give a bright color to urine (beets and carrots). Also, do not take medications (vitamins, iron preparations) for some time that have the same effect. If they are vital, then notify the laboratory assistant about them.
It is not recommended to take diuretics, because they can significantly change important indicators in urine tests.
It is imperative to take the morning urine collected in a sterile container for analysis. Nowadays, special disposable containers can be purchased in pharmacies without any problems.
Do not donate urine during menstrual bleeding (this does not apply to pregnant women, but this point should be borne in mind by women who are examined before planning pregnancy).
Before collecting any woman, it is imperative to carry out standard hygiene procedures in the perineal area so that the flora from the vagina and rectum does not affect the sterility of the contents of the jar, which will be handed over to the laboratory.
It is advisable to place the middle portion of urine in the container and only after the first portion has been released within 2-3 seconds. By typing about 100 ml of urine into a container, the remaining amount can be flushed down the toilet.
It is required to deliver the container to the laboratory as soon as possible. Storage of biomaterial is allowed at room temperature for 2 hours. In the refrigerator, the period is extended to 6 hours.

Normally, with proper delivery, transportation and laboratory conditions, urine retains its sterility. Therefore, the detection of leukocytes, erythrocytes, epithelial cells and even more so bacteria during microscopy should alert the gynecologist leading the pregnancy. Having received the decryption of the bad analysis, he must give the woman a direction for bacterial culture. In addition, an additional smear is taken from the vagina, and, as a rule, from the cervical canal. This is due to the fact that any inflammatory changes in the urinary tract can provoke urogenital infections (ureaplasma, chlamydial, mycoplasma).

Tank sowing during pregnancy in the event of a deviation of the indicators of the usual urine analysis from the norm will have to be performed without fail, since the health of the mother and her unborn baby depends on it. It is necessary to take it even in the absence of any symptoms of kidney disease, urinary tract disease.

If it turned out that the decryption indicates non-sterility of urine, special treatment is required, since advanced forms of the disease are fraught with complications, and sometimes even the loss of a child.

The need for analysis

Inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract during pregnancy occur quite often. The fact is that factors provoking them often appear. These include:

Decreased local and general immunity.
Compression of the ureters in the pregnant uterus and a decrease in their tone under the influence of hormones.
Violation of the blood supply to the bladder, since during pregnancy there is a redistribution of blood flow in favor of the growing uterus.

All these changes lead to stagnation in the urinary system, the spread of flora from the vagina and anal canal along the urethra towards the kidneys. Inflammatory phenomena of the mucous membrane begin to manifest themselves with appropriate symptoms, and the urine that has lost sterility gives rise to bacterial growth during the study.

Some serious illnesses go away without symptoms visible to the doctor and the woman. And then only deciphering the bacterial inoculation will help to detect a bacterium in the body. In addition, the analysis will tell you which drug the sensitive pathogen is.

Sowing tank during pregnancy and its interpretation by a specialist will help prevent such a serious disease as pyelonephritis, which is accompanied by:

Severe pain in the lumbar region.
A sharp rise in temperature up to 40 degrees.
Symptoms of general intoxication of the body.
Changes in the color and odor of urine.

This disease is dangerous because the fetus can be infected in utero. This sometimes leads to his death, which the mother may not even suspect for a while. If the miscarriage did not occur, then the fetal organs may suffer from those toxins that accumulate in the mother's body with pyelonephritis and are able to penetrate the placental barrier into the child's blood. Such children are born with severe toxic lesions of the liver, kidneys, and brain.

Taking antibiotics can have an extremely negative effect on the baby, without which it is simply impossible to cure pyelonephritis and restore urine sterility. Subsequently, such children will often have dysbiosis, fungal diseases, pyoderma and allergic diseases.

With the progression of inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract, the filtration apparatus of the kidneys may be affected. This will lead to renal failure, eclampsia and the need for emergency delivery, regardless of the gestational age, in order to save the life of both the mother and the baby.

If a woman strictly follows all the prescriptions and recommendations of her doctor, on time and correctly passes all tests, undergoes the necessary examinations, then she will certainly be able to avoid serious diseases, maintain her health and give birth to a healthy and strong baby.