Title: 
Headings: Microbiology Fact Sheet
Microbiology
 
Fact
 
Sheet
 

Urine
 
MC&S
 
–
 
interpretation
 
of
 
results
 

Microscopy
 

Susceptibility
 


Content: Microscopy
 

 
 
If
 
there
 
is
 
a
 
high
 
white
 
cell,
 
polymorph
 
or
 
pus
 
cell
 
count
 
>40
 
x
 
106/L,
 
++
 
or
 
+++
 
in
 
urine,
 
this
 
suggests
 
an
 
infection
 
is
 
more
 
likely
 
to
 
be
 
present. If
 
squamous
  
epithelial
 
cells
 
are
  
present
 
>10
 
x
 
106/L,
  
++
  
or
  
+++,
 
this
 
contamination
 
from
 
the
 
skin
 
and
 
the
 
urine
 
specimen
 
is
 
not
 
a
 
good
 
sample. suggests
 
Culture
 
Susceptibility
 

 
If
 
there
 
is
 
a
 
colony
 
count
 
of
 
>106/L,
 
++
 
or
 
+++
 
of
 
a
 
bacteria,
 
this
 
is
 
more
 
likely
 
to
 
be
 
a
 
true
 
infection. Growth
  
of
 
more
  
than
  
one
  
bacteria
 
species
 
is
  
uncommon
  
and
  
suggests
  
possible
 
contamination
 
(especially
 
in
 
non-catheter
 
specimens). Common
  
bacteria
 
likely
 
to
  
cause
  
UTIs
  
include: Escherichia
  
coli,
 
Proteus,
 
Klebsiella,
 
Enterococcus
 
and
 
Staphylococcus
 
saprophyticus. If
 
the
 
patient
 
is
 
taking
 
an
 
antibiotic
 
to
 
which
 
the
 
bacteria
 
is
 
reported
 
as
 
resistant
 
(R)
 
or
 
intermediate
  
(I),
 
then
  
this
  
treatment
 
may
 
need
  
to
  
be
  
changed
  
to
  
an
  
antibiotic
 
that
  
is
 
reported
 
as
 
susceptible
 
(S). If
 
there
 
is
 
more
 
than
 
one
 
antibiotic
 
to
 
which
 
the
 
bacteria
 
are
 
reported
 
as
 
susceptible
 
(S),
 
the
 
patient
 
should
 
be
 
prescribed
 
the
 
one
 
with
 
the
 
narrowest
 
spectrum. Note: Dipsticks: