Urine Culture in Spanish

What it means

A urine culture is a lab test to check for bacteria or other germs in a urine sample. It can be used to check for a urinary tract infection in adults and children. Most of the time, the sample is collected as a clean catch urine sample; it can also be taken by inserting a thin rubber tube (catheter) through the urethra into the bladder. The urine is taken to a lab to determine which, if any, bacteria or yeast are present, which takes 24 to 48 hours. The National Cancer Institute dictionary adds that urine cultures can help identify the type of microorganism that is causing an infection. A urine culture may also be done after an infection has been treated, to make sure all the bacteria are gone.

Spanish term: Cultivo de orina
Gender and article: masculine: el cultivo de orina
Pronunciation: kool-TEE-voh deh oh-REE-nah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
urocultivo	General	The title of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article on this test; the NCI Spanish dictionary gives it in parentheses after 'cultivos de orina'.

Cultivo de orina is the entry name in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, which defines it as a prueba de laboratorio and adds the one-word form in parentheses: los cultivos de orina (urocultivos). MedlinePlus en español titles its encyclopedia article Urocultivo and uses that word in the text: le pueden hacer un urocultivo. Both forms are masculine: el cultivo de orina, el urocultivo. MedlinePlus en español lists cultivo y sensibilidad de la orina under Nombres alternativos.

For collecting the sample, MedlinePlus en español writes muestra de orina limpia where the English page says clean catch urine sample, and sonda or catéter for the tube. A positive result is un examen "positivo" o anormal, and a false negative is un resultado falso negativo. Where the English pages say yeast, the NCI dictionary writes hongos, and MedlinePlus en español writes hongos in one sentence and cándidas in another. Related words are infección urinaria (urinary tract infection), vejiga (bladder), uretra (urethra) and antibióticos.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	I am going to order a urine culture to check for bacteria in your urine.	Voy a pedirle un cultivo de orina para ver si hay bacterias en la orina.
Patient	Is that different from the urine test I had last week?	¿Es diferente del análisis de orina que me hicieron la semana pasada?
Clinician	Yes. The lab checks which bacteria or yeast are present in the urine.	Sí. El laboratorio determina qué bacterias u hongos hay en la orina.
Patient	How do I collect the sample?	¿Cómo recojo la muestra?
Clinician	You will use a special kit to collect the urine.	Usará un equipo especial para recolectar la orina.
Patient	When will the results be ready?	¿Cuándo estarán listos los resultados?
Clinician	The results take 24 to 48 hours.	Los resultados tardan de 24 a 48 horas.
Patient	I have been taking antibiotics. Could that change the result?	He estado tomando antibióticos. ¿Eso podría cambiar el resultado?

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

Where you'll see it

lab reportchartdischarge summary

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Kidneys and urinary system

All terms in this area: Kidneys and urinary system — Riñones y vías urinarias

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.