A smear from the urethra is one of the mandatory components of a urological examination. The purpose of taking a smear is to detect pathogens in the urinary tract, which are the causative agents of many unpleasant and dangerous diseases. Also, this manipulation with some inflammatory diseases (for example, with cystitis) can allow you to choose the most effective medicine for a particular case.
Despite the need for such a procedure, many are afraid of it. Often - because of ignorance of its essence. What is a urethral swab?
Does it hurt? These questions often sound in the office of the urologist. So why not find out about the upcoming procedure in advance to go for analysis without any fear?
So, let's talk about taking a smear in more detail. This procedure takes very little time, so the patient will not have to endure hellish torment for several hours. As the name implies, a swab from the urethra is taken from the urethra. A urologist inserts a special probe or Volkman's spoon into it to a depth of two to three centimeters and makes a scraping from one of the walls of the canal. Of course, this procedure can be very unpleasant for the patient and even painful, but the discomfort will quickly pass. A smear from the urethra in men and women is taken exactly the same.
After taking a smear, the doctor places it on a glass slide and examines it under a microscope. As a rule, to facilitate the study, it is stained with special dyes.
A smear from the urethra carries a lot of valuable information that can help the doctor identify at an early stage diseases such as prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, ureaplamosis, chlamydia, infections caused by candida, gonococcus and trichomonas, as well as a violation of the vaginal microflora .
Like any other analysis, a smear from the urethra has its normal values. Thus, white blood cells (up to five pieces in the field of view ), epithelial cells (from five to ten), mucus (in a small amount), as well as cocci (single), red blood cells (up to two) can be present in it. But bacteria, gonococci, key cells, Trichomonas, Candida, sperm and lipoid bodies should be absent.
It is recommended to take a smear from the urethra for analysis regularly, during preventive examinations, however, there are situations where it is desirable to do the analysis immediately. So, it is not recommended to wait for a general examination when planning a pregnancy or at its beginning. In addition, you should immediately go to the doctor for pain and discomfort during urination and sexual intercourse, as well as with frequent urination and discharge from the urethra.
It should be borne in mind that before taking a smear from the urethra, it is necessary to stop taking medications in one to two weeks (if this is not possible, it is advisable to refuse at least antibiotics or postpone the test). The day before the examination, you need to refrain from sexual intercourse, and for 2-3 hours it is advisable not to urinate.
It is best to go to this analysis in the morning, the day before the genitals must be washed. If the patient does not tolerate painful procedures, he needs to warn the doctor about this - then the smear will be taken in a horizontal position.