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If your symptoms make it seem that you might have a urinary tract infection, your healthcare professional will examine you carefully.
The physical examination
For either a man or a woman who may have a urinary tract infection, the healthcare professional will:
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Examine your abdomen to check for pain above your pubic bone (suprapubic tenderness) |
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Ask you to urinate into a cup to provide a clean-catch urine specimen for testing |
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(If you might have a sexually transmitted disease): Remove small amounts of tissue in your urethra and rectum to send to a laboratory for testing |
For women only, the healthcare professional will:
 Perform an internal (pelvic) examination, especially if:
- You have never had a urinary tract infection before
- You have never visited this healthcare professional before
- You have had sexual intercourse recently
- You have vaginal discharge that is different from usual
For men only, the healthcare professional will:
Examine your genitals, especially if you have had sexual intercourse recently or you have a penile discharge
Perform a digital rectal examination (gloved finger in your rectum) to check the health of your prostate unless you have a high fever, chills, or a lot of pain
Laboratory tests for urinary tract infections
To find out whether you have a urinary tract infection and which bacteria or other organisms are causing it,
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Your healthcare professional may order some lab tests to find out if you have a UTI. |
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| your healthcare professional may order one or more laboratory tests.
The two main tests used to identify (diagnose) urinary tract infections are dipstick urinalysis and urine culture.
Dipstick urinalysis
This test can be done in the healthcare professional's office. A small, chemically treated stick called a dipstick is inserted (dipped) into a cup containing a small amount (specimen) of the person's urine. The stick changes color depending on what is found in the urine, such as bacteria and white blood cells.
White blood cells act as protectors of the body. They rush to an infection to fight it. Having too many white blood cells in the urine is a sign of trouble. If the urine contains bacteria and too many white blood cells, there is definitely an infection.
Urine culture
Although a dipstick can quickly identify white blood cells and bacteria in urine, a urine culture done in a laboratory, gives better results.
Having this information is important because different kinds of bacteria respond differently to various drugs. By knowing the kinds and amounts of bacteria in the urine, the healthcare professional can prescribe the best drug for the job.
For a urine culture, a small amount of urine is spread in a small glass or plastic dish or tube (culture plate) that has been coated with nutrients that encourage bacteria, which are already in the urine, to grow. To help them along, the culture plate is kept in a warm place (incubator) at body temperature (98.6°F) for 24 to 48 hours.
Because bacteria are invisible to the eye (microscopic), having larger numbers of bacteria available makes it possible for the laboratory technician to learn what kinds of bacteria are in the urine and to count them.
To perform a urine culture, the laboratory needs a urine specimen that represents the quality of the urine without contamination by any bacteria on the outside of the body. Such a specimen is called a clean-catch urine specimen.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR
Women
You should provide your urine specimen before taking antibiotics.
If you have already taken antibiotics for your symptoms, tell your healthcare professional before providing a clean-catch specimen.
If you are asked to provide a clean-catch specimen:
1. Take a clean urine specimen container into the bathroom.
2. Spread your legs open and clean the area where urine comes out (your urethral opening) with soap and warm water or a packaged swab.
3. Gently spread apart the folds of your genital area (labia) and hold them open.
4. With your other hand, wipe three times front to back around the urethral opening.
5. To collect a midstream specimen, let a small amount of urine go into the toilet. Then, without stopping the flow of urine, hold the specimen cup under you to collect urine. Remove the cup and finish urinating into the toilet.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
Men
1. Pull back the foreskin and clean the end of your penis with soap and water or an antiseptic.
2. To collect a midstream specimen, let a small amount of urine go into the toilet. Then, without stopping the flow of urine, hold the specimen cup under you to collect urine. Remove the cup and finish urinating into the toilet.
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