Urine Test: Routine Culture
What Is a Urine Test?
Testing a urine sample can help doctors find out what's going on when someone has an infection or other problem in kidneys, bladder, or other parts of the urinary tract.
To help your child get ready for a urine test, find out if they need to avoid any specific foods or activity before the test, or should stop taking any medicines.
Urine tests are painless. To help ease any fears, explain in simple terms how the test is done and why it's needed. Make sure your child understands that the urinary opening (urethra) must be cleaned as instructed and the pee must be collected midstream. Things like toilet paper or hair must not get in the sample.
If a child isn't potty trained and can't pee into a cup, the doctor or nurse will insert a catheter (a narrow soft tube) into the bladder to get a small sample.
What Is a Routine Urine Culture?
Routine urine cultures can look for a urinary tract infection (UTI) and see which germs are causing it. If germs are found, a urine culture can tell doctors what antibiotic will work best to treat the infection.