Title
Diagnostic value of gram staining in urinary tract infections: A review
Authors
Swati Narayan Thakare & Dhruba Chandi*
Affiliation
Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India; *Corresponding author
Swati Narayan Thakare - E-mail: tswati24@gmail.com
Dhruba Chandi - E-mail: dhruba.chandi@dmiher.edu.in
Article Type
Review
Date
Received September 1, 2026; Revised September 30, 2026; Accepted September 30, 2026, Published September 30, 2026
Abstract
Urinary tract infections are common bacterial infections and rapid diagnostic information may support timely and appropriate antimicrobial treatment. Although urine culture remains the reference method for identifying uropathogens and determining antimicrobial susceptibility, Gram staining provides rapid information on bacteriuria and bacterial morphology. Therefore, it is of interest to summarize the evidence on urine Gram staining, including direct and centrifuged-sediment approaches, in comparison with urine culture. Available evidence indicates that diagnostic performance varies with bacterial burden, specimen processing, patient population and staining methodology, particularly in specimens with low bacterial counts or contamination. Gram staining may therefore serve as an inexpensive and rapid adjunct to urinalysis and culture, while standardized protocols and computer assisted interpretation require further clinical validation.
Keywords
Urinary tract infection (UTI), gram stain; urine microscopy, bacteriuria, diagnostic accuracy
Citation
Thakare & Chandi Bioinformation 22(9): 5889-5892 (2026)
Edited by
Rashmi Laddha
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
