Urinalysis

If you are concerned about a UTI, then you should contact your doctor. Frequently, you can be diagnosed and treated without going to your doctor's office. Ways to diagnose a UTI are via urinalysis and/or urine culture. A sample of urine is examined under a microscope by looking for indications of infection — bacteria or white blood cells in the urine. Your physician may also take a urine culture if needed. If you ever see blood in your urine, you should contact your doctor right away. Blood in the urine may be caused by a UTI but it may also be from a different problem in the urinary tract.

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Reviewed January, 2010

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Glossary Terms

bacteria:
	Single-celled microorganisms that can exist independently (free-living) or dependently upon another organism for life (parasite). They can cause infection and are usually treated with antibiotics.
culture:
	Biological material grown under special conditions.
infection:
	A condition resulting from the presence of bacteria or other microorganisms.
ions:
	Electrically charged atoms.
urinalysis:
	A test of a urine sample that can reveal many problems of the urinary system and other body systems. The sample may be observed for physical characteristics, chemistry, the presence of drugs or germs or other signs of disease.
urinary tract:
	The system that takes wastes from the blood and carries them out of the body in the form of urine. Passageway from the kidneys to the ureters, bladder and urethra.
urine:
	Liquid waste product filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder and expelled from the body through the urethra by the act of urinating (voiding). About 96 percent of which is water and the rest waste products.
urine culture:
	Sample of urine for diagnostic purposes.
UTI:
	Also referred to as urinary tract infection. An illness caused by harmful bacteria growing in the urinary tract.

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