Susie,
I am concerned as I've had the SAME exact problem for a month now. I'm finally seeing an internist at a urologist today. I was only going to urgent cares and a gynecologist who didn't seem to know what was happening. May I ask what some of your symptoms were? I've now been on four courses of antibiotics going on five, but I've been resistant to take the fifth. I have urinary hesitancy. Weak urinary flow (as if something were blocking it). Abdominal pain after every urine release. All tests are coming back negative but with traces of blood.
Allison
Dr. Smitha,
I had a severe kidney infection with a blocking kidney stone. Sepsis set in and I nearly died as my bp plummeted quickly. I had to be resuscitated via drugs (norepinephrine, I believe & was in ICU for 3 days). Though my urine was cherry koolaide red, my electrolytes were off, I was in severe pain from the UTI, and I went into septic shock, NO CULTURE GREW. I have researched reasons for false negatives re urine cultures and found there can be several reasons for this. One reason being that if the infection is high enough in the kidney vs bladder, the bacteria may not pass through the urine. Also, some bacteria are resistant to growth in a Petri dish vs inside the body. The false negatives are really frightening since unskilled drs turn pts away if the culture doesn't grow. Even my nephrologist didn't think I had a UTI due to lack of culture growth. I had been sick and un diagnosed for 6 months by the time my infection reached the critical stage. Asymptomatic uti's can be very dangerous as you know. Anyway, just wanted to pass this info along and hope it helps others. Please pass this info on.
Thank you,
SusieA
Hi,
It would be simpler if the bacteria is identified on urinalysis. Bacteria detected in urinalysis are stained with a gram stain and organisms are classified into gram-positive and gram-negative groups and antibiotic treatment changes based on which type the organism is. Also most bacteria have a typical appearance and can be identified on the basis of this appearance.
Please let me know what the urinalysis says about the gram-positive or negative organism.
The culture medium changes for some bacteria as they do not grow in the standard culture media. This is determined based on what bacteria is detected in the urine.
Also an ultrasound would detect whether there is any damage or infection in the kidney that could be causing the WBCS and blood in urine even though the infection in the bladder could be the cause of these findings in urinalysis.
Antibiotic resistance or partial sensitivity can be factor in prolonged infections and this can be ascertained on culture sensitivity.
Do post the type of organism detected.
regards,
First of all I want to thank you for all of your help. Then I would like to keep you updated. I wanted back to have another urinalysis done. This time it showed 100 WBC 25 to 50 RBC and 1+ Bacteria. I did not get a chance to talk with the doctor since this was a nurse visit but I had the nurse to ask the Dr. if the cyst was causing this his answer was no. Also he said that he did not know what was causing the WBC. He told the nurse to have me come back to see him. Can you give me futher advice on what is causing this and what to do?
Thanks a bunch
Hi,
Cramping lower abdominal pain is not normal if the UTI is resolving.
Also in view of the presence of a urachal cyst, it would be better to seek evaluation of the source of infection.
A urachal cyst can occur between the umbilicus and bladder and infection of the same can result in inflammation of the overlying skin.
Since the cyst also predisposes to frequent infections, it may be worthwhile to consider having it removed surgically once the current infection has been resolved.
The current test results seem to indicate that the infection is resolving even if the inflammation is persisting.
You can take an anti-inflammatory drug like acetaminophen singly or in combination form as tylenol.
Since you have completed your course of antibiotics, try conservative measures such as adequate hydration, citrus fruits and juices, application of heat over lower abdomen and back, etc., for a day or two.
If the symptoms still do not clear up, call your doctor and have an ultrasound done to check for infection within the cyst.
Regards,
Yes, I finished the course of antibiotics no I did not miss any doses.
However, today, which is 3 days past cystoscope procedure I have been in terrible pain. The best way to describe this pain is like I have giving birth again, which I have not.
I called the doctors office went in to give them an urine sample. I was told that the culture that was done on the day of the cystoscope procedure had no growth. Remember this sample had 3+ bacteria, 50 to 75 WBC and 100 red blood cells. I still don’t understand why it had no growth. Today sample (which is 3 days post procedure) had 1+ bacteria, 0 red blood cells but 50 to 75 WBC.
1. I don’t understand why there is no growth if bacteria are present.
2. I don’t understand what is causing the WBC to be there. This is has been the main concern from the start along with blood in the urine.
3. Why am I in this much pain.
I do know that there is an urachal cyst and inflammation in my bladder
Thanks for all your help
Hi,
If there are bacteria detected in urine, they should be growing on culture media as well.
Usually the bacteria are identified in the gram stain done during urinalysis and an appropriate growth media is selected for them to grow on.
Some bacteria grow quite slowly and some others do not grow in media that are not conducive to their growth.
If you were on antibiotics earlier do you remember whether you completed the entire course for all the antibiotics or did you stop after a few doses or miss any doses?
Did the urinalysis state what bacteria was isolated?
If the infection is not responding to the antibiotics it could be because the bacteria are resistant to all the antibiotics you have been on as you were taking them even earlier.
Do check with the lab about the type of organism that caused the infection and post here.
Meanwhile follow the general measures posted in my previous post.
Regards
A culture was done prior to this visit. I was told at this appointment that the culture did not grow anything. The urologist has switched antibiotics from macrobid to cephalexin to levaquin over the past three weeks. However, over the past 4 months I have been one cipro, keflex and levaquin one time before this medicine came from the PCP before an appointment was made with an urologist.
1. Why is the infection not respond to the antibiotics
2. Why is the culture not grow anything
3. What else can be done
Hi,
If you are still having bacteria in the urine after 3 weeks of antibiotics, It implies that the infection has not responded to antibiotics. This happens because the infection-causing organism would have developed resistance to that particular antibiotic.
You will need to have a culture sensitivity done for the bacteria that have been detected, and start a course of antibiotics to which the bacteria is sensitive.
The report for the culture sensitivity should be available 48-72 hours after you provide the sample.
The red line indicates that the bladder lining has been damaged from a persistent infection. This infection will need to be treated adequately for the bladder to recover and heal.
Such kind of damage to the lining predisposes individuals to the development of chronic bladder conditions such as interstitial cystitis.
Additionally, increase your intake of fluids to over 2000 ml per day, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and add citrus fruits to your diet. You can also drink cranberry juice as this helps clear the bacteria from the tract.
Do keep us posted.
Regards.