Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis

If you have symptoms of a UTI, your first visit to a doctor will likely include:

• Questions about your past health.
• A physical exam.
• Urinalysis. This test measures different parts of urine to help detect a UTI.

To confirm the diagnosis of a suspected UTI, your doctor may ask for a sample of your urine. It is tested to see if it has germs that cause bladder infections. But if your doctor thinks you have a UTI, he or she may have you start taking antibiotics right away without waiting for the results of your test.

Tests used less often

Your doctor may order other tests if antibiotics don't help or if the infection comes back, if there are complications, or, in some cases, if the kidneys are infected.

Your doctor may order other tests to:

• Look for the cause of infections that don't go away or that keep coming back.
• Check for other kidney problems.
• Diagnose structural problems of the urinary tract that might make you more likely to get UTIs.
• Find out if the infection is caused by unusual bacteria.
• Find out if you have an impaired immune system.

If you get UTIs often, your doctor may write you a standing prescription for antibiotics that you can fill without a doctor's appointment. Then, when you first have symptoms of a UTI, you can start taking medicine right away. You may want to use a home test for UTIs to make sure you have an infection before you start antibiotics.

You may need more tests before and after treatment if you:

• Are pregnant.
• Are older than 65.
• Have diabetes or an impaired immune system.
• Are a man.