Urethral swab - Vaginal swab - Throat swab - Rectal swab
The urethral swab is a diagnostic test aimed at searching for the microorganisms responsible for lower urinary tract infections. The test uses a simple and thin cotton swab, similar to a cotton swab, to be inserted through the urethral meatus (external orifice) for about 1 cm in the woman and 1-2 cm in the man. The swab is then gently turned over. for a few seconds, in order to collect a certain amount of cells and exudate.
The material remaining soaked in the urethral swab is subsequently analyzed in the laboratory, in order to identify the causative agent and test its susceptibility to certain drugs. With the antibiogram, for example, the effect of various antibiotics on isolated bacterial species is evaluated. The choice of the most suitable antibiotic therefore allows the complete eradication of the microorganism, avoiding the appearance of dangerous resistance to antibiotics.
The most common causative agent of lower urinary tract infections is bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (in these cases we speak of gonococcal or gonorrheal urethritis). In women, due to the shorter anatomical length of the urethra, bladder infections (cystitis) are more frequent, while urethritis is more common in men.
In the male, the squeezing of the penis improves the sensitivity of the test, as it favors the ascent of any exudate along the urethra; sometimes prostatic stimulation via the rectum may also be necessary. In women, the examination is generally painless, also due to of the poor penetration of the tampon, while in the man it can cause a lot of discomfort.
In order to obtain a sufficiently large number of samples on which to search for potential pathogens, usually five or six urethral swabs are performed.
Preparation for the urethral swab
In order not to invalidate the outcome of the exam, it is good to:
refrain from sexual intercourse in the 24 hours preceding it;
suspend all antibiotic and antifungal therapy in the previous week;
avoid vaginal irrigations, local therapies in the vagina (ovules, candles, etc.) and baths in the tub in the 24 hours preceding the examination;in the morning of the exam, treat the external intimate hygiene with a little soap and water;
refrain from urinating in the previous three hours (the urethral swab is performed in the morning, before urination, in order to avoid the washing action of the urine on the walls of the urethra).
Failure to comply with these indications can produce false negatives, i.e. subjects who, according to the results of the swab, are healthy when in reality they are ill.
When is it done?
The urethral swab is performed in the presence of suspicions on the presence of a genitourinary infection and to evaluate the efficacy of the therapy undertaken. Symptoms common to these conditions are frequent, painful and difficult urination (with a sense of incomplete emptying of the bladder), cloudy greenish-yellow urine, sometimes foul-smelling with traces of blood or pus, discharge of secretions from the penis and vaginal discharge. If such symptoms occur, it is very important to promptly report them to the doctor, in order to eradicate the infection and prevent its often fearful complications (extension of the infectious process to adjacent structures up to infertility).
The urethral swab, together with the vaginal / cervical and sometimes the anal swab, is also part of the prophylaxis and control tests during pregnancy.
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