The test is used to diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI).

The culture may be used when symptoms indicate the possibility of a urinary tract infection, such as pain and burning when urinating and frequent urge to urinate. In addition, it may be used for patients who have a catheter inserted for an extended period of time, even if they do not show obvious symptoms of an infection, since there is a risk of bacteria being introduced by the catheter. Pregnant women without any symptoms may be screened for bacteria in their urine, which could harm the baby.

A negative culture usually means that there is no infection. However, a culture may be repeated in 1-2 days if the symptoms persist.

The presence of bacteria, as indicated by a positive culture, indicates an infection. Any bacterial infection may be serious and can spread to other areas of the body if not treated. Since pain is often the first indicator of an infection, prompt treatment, usually with antibiotics, will help to alleviate the pain.

Females get UTIs more often than males. Even school-age females may have frequent UTIs. For males with a culture-proven UTI, the doctor may order further tests to rule out the presence of a kidney stone or a structural abnormality of the urinary tract that could cause the infection.