Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 May;18(5):15.
doi: 10.1007/s11908-016-0522-0.

Urine Culture in Uncomplicated UTI: Interpretation and Significance

Ann E Stapleton  1
Affiliations
Review

Urine Culture in Uncomplicated UTI: Interpretation and Significance

Ann E Stapleton. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2016 May.

Abstract

Acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common clinical problem, accounting for millions of outpatient visits in the USA annually. Although routinely obtaining urine cultures in UTI is not recommended, there are circumstances in which obtaining a pre-therapy culture may be warranted or chosen by clinicians, such as when indicated by the need for careful antimicrobial stewardship. This review focuses on understanding reasons for obtaining a pre-therapy culture, methods of collection, and appropriately interpreting urine culture data.

Keywords: Antimicrobials; Bacteriuria; Uncomplicated urinary tract infection; Urine culture.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Aug;57(4):e22-e121 - PubMed
    1. Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Mar 1;52(5):e103-20 - PubMed
    1. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 May;107(21):361-7 - PubMed
    1. Nat Rev Urol. 2014 Jan;11(1):3 - PubMed
    1. BMJ. 2010 May 18;340:c2096 - PubMed