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When a male patient contacts a venereologist or urologist, he may be assigned a smear from the urethra. The main purpose of this study is to study the microflora and confirm or exclude venereal or inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system. The analysis can be shown when contacting a specialist with a variety of complaints or with an extended preventive examination.
The results of the study directly depend on compliance with the rules for preparing for it, so the patient must be informed in advance about all the nuances of the upcoming procedure. First of all, men are concerned about the question of how painful the analysis is. All the answers you need can be found in this article.
What is a urethral swab?
The urethra is the urethra, a smear from which is one of the informative studies. The biological material obtained as a result of the procedure allows assessing the microflora and identifying the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. If sexually transmitted diseases are suspected, it is impossible to establish an accurate diagnosis without this analysis.
For laboratory research, a small amount of the contents of the urethra is sufficient. The biomaterial is removed using a special tool under sterile conditions, otherwise there is a high risk of urinary tract infection. The results of the study are compared with the established norms, and on the basis of this comparative analysis, the diagnosis is refuted or confirmed.
Preparation for research
One of the main conditions for the purity of the result of the analysis is the observance of elementary hygiene rules. A man must take a shower before going to a medical facility for examination.
At least two days before the appointed date of the analysis, it is important to completely abandon sexual intercourse so that only his “own” microflora is present in the patient’s urethra. Otherwise, the results of the analysis may be erroneous, leading to an incorrect diagnosis. In the case where the patient is undergoing antibiotic therapy, the analysis must be rescheduled, as this may affect the result.
Another factor affecting the quality of the research data obtained is a special diet. The patient is advised to refrain from taking fatty foods and alcohol. But in some cases, a man may receive reverse recommendations – in the evening before the analysis, the doctor advises him to visit the sauna, drink alcoholic beverages, and eat junk food. This is necessary in chronic inflammatory processes, in order to activate them.
A prerequisite is the absence of urination a few hours before the collection of mucus from the urethra. During this time, a sufficient amount of biological material suitable for laboratory analysis will have time to accumulate in the urethra.
Indications for the procedure
A smear from the urethra is prescribed for the following symptoms:
- during urination, a man experiences discomfort or pain;
- potency disorders, discomfort during intercourse;
- suspicion of an inflammatory process in the urethra, bladder or prostate;
- copious discharge from the penis;
- urine acquires a pronounced pungent odor;
- in the genital area there is irritation of the skin.
Urologists recommend examination to their patients not only in the presence of direct indicators, but also as a preventive measure. A smear from the urethra allows you to timely identify sluggish inflammatory processes that do not have severe symptoms. Thanks to this, the disease can be stopped at the initial stage of development, preventing it from becoming chronic. The frequency of preventive examination of men by a urologist is at least once a year, and in the presence of chronic diseases of the genitourinary system, every 6 months.
This research technique has no contraindications, and since the procedure for taking biological material takes no more than 2 minutes, the analysis can be prescribed to patients, regardless of the severity of the pathology.
Features of the procedure
The analysis technique is quite simple, and the procedure itself takes no more than two minutes. To take material from the walls of the urethra, special tools are used: a urogenital probe, a Volkmann spoon or a bacteriological loop. It is allowed to use only disposable instruments in sterile packaging, which is removed in the presence of the patient directly during the procedure.
In order to obtain the contents of the urethra, which is most suitable for research, the introduction of an instrument to a depth of up to 5 cm is required.
Having reached the desired point, the doctor scrolls the instrument several times so that a sufficient amount of mucus collects on the swab. When removing the device, it is also recommended to perform circular movements – with this you can reduce the level of discomfort for the patient.
The material obtained as a result of sampling is immediately placed in a sterile test tube and sent to the laboratory for analysis. The biomaterial is checked for gonococci, trichomonads, coci, mucus, leukocytes and epithelium, and the results are recorded in the conclusion. Making a diagnosis based on the results of the analysis is the task of the specialist who issued the referral for the study.
Painfulness of the procedure and possible consequences
Most men who are going to have a urethral swab for the first time are very worried about this. But in fact, the procedure is not particularly painful – it is in the process of inserting the instrument into the urethra that some discomfort is possible. Most often, discomfort intensifies after the sampling of the material, but within an hour they disappear without the need for additional therapy.
In the event that the pain persists and intensifies over time, you should consult your doctor. Most often we are talking about the inflammatory process in the urethra, which was activated due to the mechanical effect on the walls.
If the test results indicate the development of the disease, then the patient may be assigned a second smear or a series of additional studies.