How is UTI diagnosed
How is a laboratory diagnosis of UTI made?
A urine culture confirms the diagnosis and identifies the specific infecting organism and susceptibilities. A urine specimen for culture should be obtained prior to initiating antimicrobial therapy for all presentations of symptomatic urinary infection, with the exception of women with acute uncomplicated cystitis in whom the characteristic clinical presentation is reliable for diagnosis. However, these women should have a urine culture obtained if presenting symptoms are not characteristic, or when there is failure to respond to antibiotics or the recurrence of infection within 1 month of antimicrobial therapy. A voided urine specimen, collected using a method to minimize contamination, is usually appropriate. If a voided specimen cannot be obtained, an in-and-out catheter specimen is recommended.
Patients with a short-term indwelling urinary catheter should have the urine specimen obtained by puncture through the catheter port. When a long-term indwelling catheter is present, the catheter should be replaced and a specimen collected through the replacement catheter to obtain a sample of bladder urine not contaminated by microorganisms present in the biofilm.
