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What Does Positive For Nitrates In Urine Culture Report Mean?
hello sir,
I have querry in urine culture that if there is no growth of organisms in culture and nitrites are positive so what does it mean?i am micribiologist and i did culture in which pus cells were numerous and nitrites positive but there was no growth....,pus cells can because of other problems like renal etc..,if nitrite is positive so it means there is nitrite metabolizing bacteria are present?
I have querry in urine culture that if there is no growth of organisms in culture and nitrites are positive so what does it mean?i am micribiologist and i did culture in which pus cells were numerous and nitrites positive but there was no growth....,pus cells can because of other problems like renal etc..,if nitrite is positive so it means there is nitrite metabolizing bacteria are present?
Mon, 1 Dec 2014
Thanks for your question on HCM.
If your urine culture is negative but nitrate is positive, this means your urine sample is infected with nitrate reducing organism.
Common bacteria to do such thing is E.coli. But since culture is negative I think slow growing bacteria or atypical bacteria can be present.
In this list
1. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2. Atypical mycobacteria etc.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis if present typically produce "sterile pyuria". In this condition pus cells are present in urine but culture does not grow any bacteria. The reason for this is
1. M tuberculosis needs special media to culture
2. They are very slow growers.
So in your urine sample chances of M. Tuberculosis is high.
If your urine culture is negative but nitrate is positive, this means your urine sample is infected with nitrate reducing organism.
Common bacteria to do such thing is E.coli. But since culture is negative I think slow growing bacteria or atypical bacteria can be present.
In this list
1. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2. Atypical mycobacteria etc.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis if present typically produce "sterile pyuria". In this condition pus cells are present in urine but culture does not grow any bacteria. The reason for this is
1. M tuberculosis needs special media to culture
2. They are very slow growers.
So in your urine sample chances of M. Tuberculosis is high.
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