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Urine Test: Routine Culture

What It Is

A routine urine culture detects the amount of germs (microorganisms like bacteria) present in the urine.


Why It's Done

A urine culture is used to diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) and see what kinds of germs are causing it. The doctor may order a urine culture if your child:

  • complains of a painful sensation when peeing
  • feels the urge to pee frequently but doesn't produce much urine (also called urgency)
  • has a fever of without a clear reason or has abdominal pain
  • has a routine urinalysis that is abnormal, especially if it shows a high number of white blood cells
  • has completed a course of treatment for a UTI, to see if the infection is gone



The Procedure

Collecting the sample should only take a few minutes. Your child will be asked to pee into a sterile sample cup in the doctor's office. If your child isn't potty trained and can't pee into a cup, a catheter (a narrow soft tube) may need to be inserted into the bladder to obtain the urine specimen.



What to Expect

Because the test involves normal urination, there shouldn't be any discomfort as long as your child can provide a urine sample. (There may be temporary discomfort if a catheter was inserted to collect the urine.) It's important to keep the area around the urinary opening clean before the test and to catch the urine sample midstream.

Getting the Results




Helping Your Child

Urinating to provide the specimen for the test is usually painless. Ease your child’s fears by explaining how the test will be conducted and why it's being done. Make sure your child understands that the urinary opening must be clean and the pee must be collected midstream.

If You Have Questions
