What the Urine Culture Test measures
A urine culture checks whether bacteria are growing in the urine, which is how a urinary tract infection (UTI) is confirmed. The laboratory places a small amount of the urine on a growth medium and waits to see whether bacteria grow, and how many. If a significant growth is found, the bacteria are identified and tested against a range of antibiotics; this sensitivity report helps the doctor choose an antibiotic that is likely to work. That is especially useful for infections that keep coming back, infections that have not responded to a first course of antibiotics, and infections in pregnancy, in children or in people with diabetes or kidney problems. Because the bacteria have to grow before they can be identified and tested, the report takes longer than routine blood tests. The way the sample is collected matters a lot: skin bacteria can contaminate the container and give a confusing result, so a clean-catch, midstream sample in a sterile container is needed.
Price: the Urine Culture Test costs ₹400 at Pure Bliss (MRP ₹500), with the sample collected at our Action Area 2, New Town centre or at your home.
Who this test is for
- Burning while passing urine, passing urine often or urgently, or lower abdominal pain
- Urinary infections that keep coming back
- An infection that has not improved on antibiotics
- Urine checks in pregnancy, as advised by the doctor
How to prepare, the sample, and when to expect the report
Preparation
If possible, give the sample before starting antibiotics, or tell us which antibiotic you have already taken. Wash the genital area with water, pass the first part of the stream into the toilet, then collect the middle part in the sterile container we provide without touching the inside. A first-morning sample is preferred but not essential.
Sample
Urine: a clean-catch midstream sample in a sterile container we provide.
Reporting time
Two to three days: the culture has to grow before antibiotic sensitivity can be checked.
Reading the result
As commonly used guidance, growth of about 100,000 (10^5) colony-forming units (CFU) per mL or more of a single organism is usually reported as significant. Lower counts, or mixed growth, are read according to symptoms and how the sample was collected. Your own report and your doctor’s reading take priority over these general figures. Reference ranges differ between laboratories, so your report lists the laboratory’s own range beside each value. A result outside the range does not always mean illness; ask your doctor to explain it.
- Centre or home collection
- NABL-accredited Redcliffe Labs collection centre
- How collection works →
The Urine Culture Test can be booked at the clinic in Action Area 2 or with a home collection from 7:30 AM. Patients come to us from Action Area 1, Action Area 3, Rajarhat, Chinar Park, Salt Lake Sector V, Sukhobrishti and Eco Park.