Culture & Sensitivity – Urethral:
Why Culture and Sensitivity - Urethral Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
Urethra is a hollow tubular structure that allows urine to pass out of the body. Urethritis typically causes pain while urinating and an increased urge to urinate. Pain in the urethra can also be a symptom of a wide variety of underlying medical conditions – including inflammation due to bacterial, fungal or viral infections of the urinary tract including kidneys, bladder, prostate and testes (in males). Urethritis is a condition in which the urethra or the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body becomes inflamed and irritated. Urethritis is diagnosed by tests such as physical examination and palpation of genitals, abdomen and rectum performed by the physician to check for tenderness or discharge. A urethral swab is done to test for STDs that cause urethritis, which includes Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, NSU (Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Trichomonas etc). In addition urine test is conducted for UTI and further microscopic analysis is performed for underlying pathologies. Symptoms of urethritis in males include burning micturition (burning sensation while urination), itching or burning near the opening of the penis (in the male), presence of blood in the semen or urine (in male), urethral discharge from the penis also called genital exudate culture (in the male), swollen testicles etc. Symptoms of urethritis in females include burning micturition, more frequent urge to urinate, discomfort in urination, burning or irritation at the urethral opening, abnormal discharge from the vagina (in female) etc. Some causes include STDs like Neisseria gonorrhoea(gonorrhoea), chlamydia trichomatis (trichomoniasis), Mycoplasma genitalium etc, hence tests for sexually transmitted infection (STI) is mandatory for HIV and syphilis. Signs of STI include tenderness, discharge and sores. Other causes also include the human papilloma virus (HPV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen –Urethral swab specimen. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
Sample Requirement: Urethra Swab Sample
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RTDIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centres to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
