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Urethral discharge culture How the Test is Performed:
The opening of your urethra is cleansed with sterile gauze or cotton. A cotton swab is then gently inserted into your urethra about 3/4 inch and gently rotated. The specimen is collected at least 1 hour after urinating.
A culture of the exudate (fluid collected) is then prepared in the laboratory. Any organisms that grow on the culture are isolated and identified. The drainage may be examined on a slide under the microscope for preliminary results and confirmed by culture.
How to Prepare:
Do not urinate for 1 hour before the test. Urination will wash away some of the organisms needed to obtain an accurate culture.
Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:
How it Feels:
There is usually some discomfort associated with swabbing the urethra.
Risks:
Fainting (caused by stimulation of the vagal nerve) occasionally occurs when the swab is introduced into the urethra. Other risks include infection or bleeding .
Why this Test is Performed:
This test is performed to detect sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia . Often the test is performed when there is a discharge from the urethra.
Normal Values:
No growth appearing in the culture is normal.
Abnormal Results:
Abnormal results indicate infection with gonorrhea or Chlamydia .
See also:
Cost:
The estimated cost is $14.
Special Considerations:
A comparable test for females is an endocervical culture .
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