US Medical Term · tests
Urine Culture
Cultivo de orina
Also: Urocultivo (regional variant)
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Urine Culture |
| Spanish (Español) | Cultivo de orina |
| Chinese (中文) | 尿液培養 |
| Korean (한국어) | 소변 배양 검사 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Cấy nước tiểu |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Urine Culture |
| Portuguese (Português) | Urocultura |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การเพาะเชื้อในปัสสาวะ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 尿培養検査 |
What it means
A urine culture is a laboratory test that grows any bacteria or yeast present in your urine on a special dish, then identifies exactly which organism is causing an infection. You collect a clean-catch midstream urine sample in a sterile cup. The lab incubates the sample for 24–48 hours. If bacteria grow, the lab also performs sensitivity testing to find out which antibiotics will kill the specific organism, helping your doctor prescribe the right treatment. This test is more precise than a urinalysis alone. Doctors order a urine culture when they suspect a urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney infection, or when a UTI keeps coming back despite treatment.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
How is a urine culture different from a regular urinalysis?
¿En qué se diferencia el cultivo de orina del análisis de orina regular?
How long does it take to get results from a urine culture?
¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en llegar el resultado del cultivo de orina?
My urine culture came back positive — what bacteria did they find?
Mi cultivo de orina salió positivo — ¿qué bacteria encontraron?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026