Researchers from Loyola University Chicago have debunked the common myth that urine is sterile after finding bacteria in the bladder of healthy women.
"Doctors have been trained to believe that urine is germ-free," said Linda Brubaker, MD, co-investigator and dean of the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "These findings challenge this notion, so this research opens the door to exciting new possibilities for patient treatment."
Researchers examined urine specimens from 90 women with and without overactive bladder symptoms. They were collected through a catheter and analyzed using an expanded quantitative urine culture technique. They found bacteria that are not identified by standard urine culture techniques.
"While traditional urine cultures have been the gold standard to identify urine disorders in the past, they do not detect most bacteria and have limited utility as a result," said Paul Shreckenberger, PhD, director of the clinical microbiology laboratory at Loyola University Health System.
The study also found that bladder bacteria in healthy women are different from the bacteria in women with overactive bladder.