Urine Culture & Sensitivity (UCX)
A Straightforward Test for Uncomplicated UTIs
Organism ID, Colony Count, and Susceptibility — From One Culture
For a routine, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, a standard urine culture gives you what you need: the organism present, how much of it there is, and which antibiotics will treat it. It's a well-established, reliable test — ordered when a straightforward answer is what the visit calls for.
Key Benefits:
Organism identification — genus and species
Quantitative colony count (CFU/mL)
Antibiotic susceptibility panel (S/I/R) to guide treatment
Detects the full range of common uropathogens
Simple to order as a stand-alone test
CLIA-certified, high-complexity laboratory processing
How Urine Culture Works
Isolate, Identify, Test
A urine specimen is plated and incubated to allow any organisms present to grow. Growth is quantified as colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL), which helps distinguish a true infection from contamination or normal colonization. Any organism meeting the significant-growth threshold is then identified by genus and species, and tested against a panel of antibiotics to determine whether it's sensitive, intermediate, or resistant to each one.
What's Included:
Quantitation. Colony count (CFU/mL), used to determine whether growth is clinically significant.
Identification. Organism identification by genus and species.
Susceptibility. A susceptibility result — sensitive, intermediate, or resistant — for each antibiotic on the panel, based on the isolate recovered.
One Result, One Decision. A single report clinicians can use to select or confirm an antibiotic for routine treatment.
The Urine Culture Test
What's Reported, and How It's Determined
- Organism identification (genus and species)
- Quantitative colony count (CFU/mL)
- Antibiotic susceptibility panel — Sensitive / Intermediate / Resistant
- Antibiotics included on the standard susceptibility panel
- Interpretive comments distinguishing likely infection from contamination or colonization
- Mixed/polymicrobial growth reported per standard criteria, with a request for redraw when the growth pattern suggests contamination
- Standardized calibrated-loop plating for accurate colony quantitation
- Susceptibility testing performed on isolates meeting significant-growth criteria
- Interpretive thresholds applied consistent with recognized clinical guidelines (colony-count cutoffs vary by specimen type and collection method — clean catch, catheterized, or suprapubic)
- CLIA-certified, high-complexity laboratory
- Specimen Type: Clean catch midstream urine (other collection types accepted per protocol)
- Collection Requirements: Sterile container receptacle
- Specimen Stability: Up to 48 hours at room temperature for many commercially validated boric acid transport tubes
- Turnaround Time: 3–4 days upon receipt of specimen
Who Should Order Urine Culture & Sensitivity
For Routine UTI Workups
Primary Care. Uncomplicated UTI symptoms — burning, urgency, frequency — where a standard culture confirms the organism and directs treatment.
Urgent Care. Urgent, same-visit UTI complaints where a straightforward culture and sensitivity result is all that's needed.
OB/GYN and Women's Health. Routine UTI workups and pregnancy-related bacteriuria screening.
General Practice. Any practice that wants a simple, stand-alone culture order without a bundled panel.
Urology. When testing for complicated UTIs is not needed, culture can be ordered on its own.
Part of a Broader Test Menu
Order What the Visit Calls For
Urine Culture & Sensitivity is available as a stand-alone order. SoftCell also offers a full menu of urinalysis and molecular testing for practices that need it — order culture on its own, or alongside other tests, depending on what the visit requires.
Our Testing Services
Ensuring Quality and Reliability in Every Test
At SoftCell, we offer a comprehensive suite of diagnostic tests, all performed using current-generation instrumentation and validated protocols. Our experienced technologists adhere to strict quality assurance measures, ensuring reliable results every time. SoftCell is a CLIA-certified, high-complexity reference laboratory, and we are powered by Doc Lab — the same team behind the science and manufacturing of our core assays. That means tighter quality control, faster problem resolution, and technical support from the people who built the test.
Ordering Information
Effortless Access to Advanced Culture Diagnostics
Ordering is simple and convenient, and results are delivered the way that fits your practice — through our secure web portal, by fax, or via EMR integration. New accounts are set up fast, with kits, requisitions, and portal access included. For any questions or assistance, our dedicated client services team is here to help. Contact us at info@SoftCellLabs.com or (503) 402-2505.
Experience the SoftCell Difference
Where Innovation Meets Clinical Excellence
Trust SoftCell for your reference laboratory needs. Reliable culture and susceptibility results, delivered by a lab partner that actually answers the phone.