URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS (UTIS): DIAGNOSIS
As all the symptoms are pretty annoying, it is not surprising that most women will seek medical attention quite promptly. After taking a history from the patient, and performing a limited examination, the doctor is likely to ask for a specimen of urine, preferably a ‘mid-stream urine specimen, or MSU. This is a special technique of urine collecting, in which the aim is to get a sample of urine straight from the bladder into the little sterile jar, without it touching the sides on the way out. This prevents the urine being contaminated by vaginal discharge and bugs, and allows for a more accurate assessment of what is really going on in the bladder.
How to collect an MSU. You need a sterile jar (usually the doctor’s surgery or pathology collection centre will provide a little plastic one), and you may be given a little sterile towelette to wipe your labia with before you wee. If you have none, you could use a damp tissue. Some people recommend also putting a tampon in your vagina to ensure there is no contamination, but unless you actually have your period at the time, this is probably unnecessary.
You can sit backwards over the toilet, facing the wall, so you have more room to manoeuvre. With one hand gently part the lips (labia) around the vagina, and with the wiper in the other hand wipe once, front to back. This removes any normal discharge which is often around. Then, while still parting the labia, hold the open jar in the other hand and wee into the toilet. Without stopping weeing, pass the jar into the line of the urine to catch some of it, filling the jar about half-way if you can (although a smaller amount will do), then you can remove the jar, and finish weeing into the toilet.
This specimen can be examined for evidence of bacterial infection. A quick ‘dip stick’ test, or a microscopic examination can be done in the doctor’s rooms, but these are not as accurate as sending the specimen to a laboratory for culture. In this process, which takes a couple of days, the bugs, if present, can be identified, and grown, and tested against different antibiotics to see which ones are likely to work best.
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