| Infections |  Cystitis, Bacterial Bladder Infection  | Urine culture and susceptibility testing add little to the eventual choice of an antibiotic as treatment because of the limited number of possible pathogens. Many patients, therefore, may receive an abbreviated laboratory work-up using dipstick tests to screen for the presence of bacteria and white blood cells.
If treatment does not improve symptoms, further testing should be done. Cultures need to be performed when the diagnosis is unclear or when there are other risk factors such as a history of recurrent infections. Cultures should also be performed when symptoms such as fever, lower back pain or signs associated with vaginitis are present.
During urinalysis, urine pH is determined. If elevated, lowering it will assist in resolving the infection. |
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