Urine Culture for Bacteria and Fungi

• Culturing involves growing microorganisms from a urine sample on special nutrient media in laboratory settings.
• It allows detection of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, as well as fungi (e.g., Candida), which may cause inflammatory processes.
• Quantitative assessment (colony count) helps differentiate infection from contamination.
• An antibiogram is performed to show which medications are most effective against the isolated microorganisms.

• Suspected urinary tract infection (cystitis, pyelonephritis, etc.).
• Recurrent or chronic urinary tract infections.
• Presence of inflammation symptoms: painful urination, frequent urges, cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
• Monitoring antibiotic therapy effectiveness.
• Suspected fungal urinary tract infection.
• Preparation for urinary tract surgeries.

• Collect midstream morning urine in a sterile container.
• Thorough genital hygiene before collection to minimize contamination.
• Avoid test during menstruation in women.
• Deliver urine to the laboratory as soon as possible, ideally within 2 hours after collection.

• Presence of >10^4–10^5 bacterial colonies per 1 ml of urine generally indicates significant bacteriuria and infection.
• Isolation of opportunistic microorganisms requires clinical correlation and additional studies.
• Negative culture despite symptoms may point to viral infections or other inflammation causes.
• Antibiogram assists in selecting the most effective drugs and preventing resistance development.

General urine analysis evaluates physicochemical properties and sediment microscopy, where bacteria may be qualitatively detected but without species identification or quantitative assessment. Urine culture is a separate, more accurate and informative method needed for precise diagnosis and therapy choice.