UTI test negative - retest?

CaliforniaGirl-1

Has anyone ever had a negative UA that turned out to be positive on retest? My LO is elderly and in memory care and her behavior has changed and the caregivers are thinking UTI. We did the test and the lab was a long time getting the results back and they were remarkably clear and negative.

I am wondering if it's worth retesting ? Is there some other common physiological thing that can cause these somewhat abrupt changes (refusing things, irritability, not sleeping, increased confusion).

Has anyone ever had to do a 2nd urinary analysis?

BassetHoundAnn

There are different types of tests for UTIs. The dip tests that are usually done in memory care are notoriously inaccurate. There was an article not long ago in the Washington Post about how UTIs are often missed by the current testing regimes. The urine sample should really be cultured for the most accurate result, and also for determining which antibiotic will be effective. If you think your mom might be suffering from a UTI I would ask for a second test.

solerdr

Yes, yes, yes please do a retest! My father had several UTIs which the Facility missed. A telltale sign of a UTI is a sudden change in mood(s).

Get it done ASAP for letting a UTI go untreated could lead to other bad things happening to your LO.

CaliforniaGirl-1

They did send it out for a culture. But I think I would like a 2nd test anyway.

jfkoc

You have to check urine not a strip....yes, I would retest...it does sound like the facility has knowledge on how to do this...you are lucky

Quilting brings calm

Yes. My mom repeatedly got negative tests and we could not get her doctors to give her antibiotics. She ended up with urosepsis.