Not sure if anyone has experienced this

Mom2Cinderella

Has anyone gone to the ob and given a urine sample and had it come back positive?  I was in the office two weeks prior and everything was fine.  Then my next appointment was two weeks from the first, and when they did the dipstick it was positive for a suspected UTI so I am guessing they either detected white blood cells or bacteria.  So they sent it off for culture.  That came back negative.  So not I am worried because if it isn't a UTI, what is wrong with me? Is it possible to have a false positive because of contamination or something?  I'm not sure what the dipstick checks for, but whatever made mine positive made them suspect UTI.  So I don't think it was higher protein or sugar.  I go back on Wednesday and I'm scared to pee in a cup. I am tired of all the screening and testing. 

rachaelski

My MW said that there can be bad batches of dipsticks, and that the more an individual dipstick measures (some have 6 or 7 little boxes testing something), the more likely they are to test funny. 

I tested for small amounts of blood in my urine (tell tale for UTI). I went home and made sure to drink a bunch of cranberry juice (Trader Joe's has 100% pure juice with no sugar added). However, we think it was a false positive, because I never had an symptoms and she used one of the crazy sticks that measures 6 or 7 things.  

SuzJune04

I had one test come back positive and they said that it might have been that I just wiped the wrong way and got a little bacteria in the sample.  When they checked the next time it was fine.  I wouldn't worry if your result was negative.

 

TheFireChick

It probably tests for bacteria, but it is very possible to get false positives on them. The dips can't differentiate between good and bad bacteria. Which is why they confirm with a culture.

KBBH

I have not had this yet, but I can tell you that it's very very common to get a test back that says you have something when in reality, you have no symptoms of it.  My mom is constantly getting "UTIs" and half the time she has no symptoms of it at all.  I think when you are pregnant they call it "spilling keytones."  It can come from contamination--you could have traces of blood that you can't see by the human eye, or (as gross as it is) you could have some residual waste that trails in when you pee.  I wouldn't worry about it too much.  They'll double check it on Wednesday and the worst thing would be antibiotics.  Hang in there!

TheMrsRN

You can ask what was positive on the urinalysis. Some doctors just check for leukocytes which indicates an infection, and others will also look under the microscope for any bacteria. The culture they send off to see what bacteria grows. If the culture grew no bacteria, then you do not have a UTI. I would for sure ask for clarification. It is possible that they could have gotten a false positive on the dipstick when checking for leukocytes, but the culture is a more definitive test.

Olalala157

I have had many UTI's before from when I was younger so I know exactly the symptoms to look for when I have it. I noticed that when I go to the doctors and I am dehydrated my tests always come back positive when they are not. It happened every time I had a morning appointment because in the morning 9am or so, I haven't had that many liquids yet and I quickly rush out of the house to get there so my urine is very concentrated. What time was your doctors appointment and how much liquids did you have?

TheMrsRN

TheFireChick:

It probably tests for bacteria, but it is very possible to get false positives on them. The dips can't differentiate between good and bad bacteria. Which is why they confirm with a culture.

Just to clarify, there is NO normal bacteria in your urine. You do have normal flora that is on your skin and in your vagina. It is essential to be sure you obtain a clean catch when go in for a urine specimen. You should use the wipes they provide and clean front to back first. Then catch urine midstream to ensure that no bacteria from your skin or vagina is getting in the sample. They can see bacteria under the microscope, but can't tell if it from your urine and indicative of an infection or if it just wasn't a clean catch and some bacteria from your vagina or skin's normal flora ended up in the cup. The culture shows exactly how much bacteria and what bacteria was in the sample, which can help your doctor differentiate between an infection or a bad catch that obtained some normal flora.

Mom2Cinderella

Thanks everyone.  this is my second pregnancy and I have never tested "positive' before so it threw me for a loop.  I have to admit that I really didn't know the procedure for preparing a sample and I actually thought those little wipes they provide were for me to clean myself up after! haha.  So I am going to do a better job of cleaning up before and catching it mid stream and hope it comes back fine.  I am nervous though. 

TheMrsRN

Mom2Cinderella:

Thanks everyone.  this is my second pregnancy and I have never tested "positive' before so it threw me for a loop.  I have to admit that I really didn't know the procedure for preparing a sample and I actually thought those little wipes they provide were for me to clean myself up after! haha.  So I am going to do a better job of cleaning up before and catching it mid stream and hope it comes back fine.  I am nervous though. 

Don't be nervous! The fact that your culture was negative is all that matters! And the other posters that are talking about ketones and urine concentration are talking about things unrelated to a urinalysis looking for a UTI. Those things would not make your doctor tell you that you tested positive for a UTI. The  only reason I know how to obtain a clean catch is because I teach patients how to obtain one in the ER everyday. I have NEVER been told at my doctor and until my last appointment, I had never even noticed, but there is a small index card behind the toilet flusher that explains what to do. I am sure most people don't ever notice it, so  it is no wonder many women don't know what to do.

Olalala157

Mom2Cinderella:

Thanks everyone.  this is my second pregnancy and I have never tested "positive' before so it threw me for a loop.  I have to admit that I really didn't know the procedure for preparing a sample and I actually thought those little wipes they provide were for me to clean myself up after! haha.  So I am going to do a better job of cleaning up before and catching it mid stream and hope it comes back fine.  I am nervous though. 

 

haha dont feel bad I actually did the same thing with the wipes until I watched a baby video which mentioned something about that and THEN it clicked for me! I was always so confused why they were giving me wipes when I could clearly wash my hands in the sink in the bathroom. I felt pretty silly but I'm glad I'm not the only one! 

JBlack910

that happened to be as well...they sent out another urine sample to be tested and there wound up being a bacteria in there, i wanna say they called it strep b.   doc said its really common in pregnancy. i took antibiotics and it was fine the next time around.  no worries