Details about E. coli in a smear: causes, symptoms and treatment. What is Escherichia coli - causes of detection in urine, flora culture and smear, symptoms and treatment

E. coli in Latin is called Escherichia coli (E. coli) and is a species of bacteria that includes pathogenic and non-pathogenic varieties. Pathogenic varieties of Escherichia coli cause infectious and inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract, urinary and reproductive systems in men and women.

What is Escherichia coli?

E. coli (Escherichia coli) - bacteria belonging to the genus Escherichia and the family Enterobacteriaceae. These microorganisms are highly resistant, they are able to live for months in water, soil, feces.

A group of diseases associated with Escherichia coli and caused by pathogenic strains of bacteria is called escherichiosis. They act as the causes of diseases of the intestines, kidneys and other organs. This creates a number of problems in the field of digestion, the genitourinary system.

Bacteria multiply quickly and well in food, especially in milk, and therefore eating contaminated and contaminated with E. coli dishes causes infection with the subsequent development of an infectious and inflammatory disease.

Classification

E. coli are opportunistic (which include hemolyzing E. coli) and pathogenic. Scientists were able to isolate more than a hundred pathogenic strains of this bacterium, which were subsequently divided into four main classes, namely:

enteroinvasive;
enterotoxigenic;
enteropathogenic;
enterohemorrhagic.

These microorganisms can cause the development of escherichiosis - infectious diseases that, according to statistics, are most common in children and women (the infection is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, mainly through food or water).

Form	Features of Escherichia coli
Enteropathogenic escherichiosis	Acute intestinal infection caused by enteropathogenic bacillus. Often the disease affects newborns, babies from birth to a year. Frequent clinical manifestation: vomit, frequent loose stools. The baby begins to spit up often, refuses food. The child's sleep is disturbed, he becomes restless. The disease proceeds in a protracted form is not intense.
Enterotoxigenic	This type of E. coli lesion resembles a picture of food poisoning. Distinctive characteristics: severe and frequent diarrhea, vomit, pain in the abdomen, nausea. The disease affects adults, children of all ages. Often seen by travelers.
Enteroinvasive	Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli causes acute food poisoning in children and adults, the course of which is similar to.
Enterohemorrhagic	Enterohemorrhagic (hemolytic, hemolytic) Escherichia coli causes hemorrhagic colitis in children and adults or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Both diseases require treatment.

Reasons for ingestion

E. coli exists and multiplies under the condition of an ambient temperature of 37 degrees. It feeds in the intestines with minerals and breakdown products of amino acids. It retains its viability, getting into water bodies, soil and products.

The genus Escherichia belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. The largest group of varieties of microorganisms is useful for the body. Some of the strains are pathogenic in nature - a number of severe food poisoning, urogenital infections appear. In severe immunodeficiency states, when E. coli has spread throughout the body, it can lead to the development of meningitis,.

The main cause of infection with intestinal infections is non-compliance with hygiene standards.

There are 2 ways in which the infection is transmitted:

Water. The infection enters the body through the use of unboiled water or poor quality.
Alimentary. It is characterized by the ingestion of contaminated food. With this method of infection, food poisoning is often found in a person who has used contaminated products for cooking. For the human body, such food is poison.

Orally, Escherichia coli enters the intestinal tract from:

dirt on the hands;
dirt on vegetables and fruits;
insufficiently thermally processed meat;
contaminated raw water;
raw milk (according to statistics, this method of transmission is the most common).

Contact-household way of transmission rare. More often it can be observed with an outbreak of eshechiriosis in a separate room (maternity hospital, hospital, school, etc.). One of the most dangerous ways of E. coli infection is transmission of the infection during childbirth from mother to child.

coli symptoms

Symptoms of E. coli infection manifest themselves in different ways, so each class of pathogenic bacteria must be considered separately. The health status of an infected person will depend on which group they belong to and at what rate E. coli multiply, the symptoms of the diseases are described below.

Common signs of the development of pathogenic Escherichia coli in the body include symptoms such as:

Violation of the digestive process;
Pain in the abdomen;
Vomiting and nausea;
Manifestations;
Unpleasant odor felt from the mouth;
Weakness;
Drowsiness;
Loss of appetite;
Increased body temperature;
Drop in blood pressure.

Depending on the type of bacteria, a person notices the presence of certain signs.

Symptoms depending on the type of bacteria

Escherichiosis caused by enteroinvasive bacilli causes damage to the large intestine. The disease develops with the onset of general intoxication symptoms:

weakness,
headache,
chills
temperature increase.

A few hours later there are cramping pains in the lower abdomen.

Diarrhea occurs, the stools are at first watery and copious. But as the colon is affected, colitis develops.
Symptoms of this condition are frequent liquid or mushy stools with an admixture of mucus, streaks of blood.

This variant of escherichiosis is characterized by a benign course. Temperature and stool normalize after one to three days.

Intestinal infections caused enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, in adults and children older than 3 years, they proceed according to the type of salmonellosis. That is, the disease begins acutely:

nausea occurs
vomit,
stomach ache,
moderately or slightly increased body temperature.

The chair becomes liquid, watery and plentiful, and the patient goes to the toilet 2-6 times a day. During bowel movements, stools literally splatter. The infection lasts an average of 3 to 6 days, after which recovery occurs.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli dangerous because they can attach specifically to the intestinal mucosa, which significantly disrupts its work. The infection is transmitted through unwashed hands or fruits, so the symptoms of intestinal bacteria in the human body are sometimes called "traveler's diarrhea", which is accompanied by:

watery diarrhea without blood
nausea,
paroxysmal pain in the abdomen.

Manifestations of infection with enterohemorrhagic infection:

Necrosis;
Presence of blood clots (in stool);
Peritonitis;
Diarrhea (watery stools).

The symptoms of infection in a child are more severe, especially when newborns or children with low body weight are affected.

It can cause disease in other organs besides the intestines. In the urinary tract, this bacterium can also cause inflammation. In girls and women, this risk is higher than in men, because. they have a shortcut from the intestines to the urethra.

Complications

Some types of sticks can cause:

poisoning;
colibacillosis;
intestinal dysbacteriosis;
inflammation of the genitourinary system,;
in newborns.

In rare cases, inflammatory diseases can cause complications:

pneumonia;
sepsis;
mastitis.

It is dangerous for any bacteria to enter the woman's vagina. This leads to inflammation of the genital organs. Initially, vulvovaginitis or colpitis appears. If the pathogen is not eliminated in time, the infection rises to the fallopian tubes and uterus. Endometritis develops. With further movement of bacteria up the body, they enter the abdominal cavity, peritonitis is observed.

Disease caused by Escherichia coli manifests itself differently and can have a lot of complications on the organs and systems of the body. Therefore, the pathogen must be identified as early as possible and treated immediately.

Diagnostics

The infection is diagnosed on the basis of bacteriological examination. It is often very difficult to isolate a pure culture of a pathogenic bacterium in the presence of coli in the research material, which is the main part of the normal microflora of the intestine. If an inflammatory process occurs in the body, urgent treatment is recommended. To obtain the result of the analysis, use:

feces and vomit;
blood;
urine;
pus;
smears or scrapings taken from the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

coli treatment

Treatment of intestinal infections caused by a stick is usually complex and includes the following items:

Antibiotics. Antibacterial therapy forms the basis of the treatment of Escherichia coli. This or that drug is prescribed after determining the sensitivity of microorganisms to it. Most often, antibiotics of the cephalosporin group are recommended: Cefelim, Cefalexin, Levofloxacin. Drugs are taken in courses of 5-10 days.
Bacteriophages. These are drugs that kill bacteria more gently and safely than antibiotics, but they are not always effective. Bacteriophages include Sextaphage, Intesti-bacteriophage, etc.
Painkillers. If the pain in the abdomen is severe, painkillers such as No-shpa, Bral, Spazmalin, Nurofen are prescribed. However, they should not be taken for a long time.
Probiotics (Linex, Bifidumbacterin, etc.) help restore the normal balance of pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms in the intestines.

Escherichiosis treatment should be carried out in a hospital:

Mild forms of infection do not require the appointment of antibacterial agents.
In moderate forms of coli infection, antibiotics from the group of fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, ofloxacin) are prescribed.
In severe form of escherichiosis, drugs from the group of cephalosporins (cefotaxime), fluoroquinolones together with aminoglycosides are prescribed.

In addition to taking antibiotics, the patient must follow certain rules of treatment. If the patient has diarrhea or vomiting, then he must drink rehydration solutions without fail. With their help, the lost fluid and salt are replenished.

With every bowel movement and vomiting need to drink 300 to 600 milliliters of rehydration solution. For its preparation, pharmaceutical powder in the form of Trisol, Regidron, Glucosolan can be used.

To ensure the highest quality treatment of infectious diseases that occur when E. coli appears, it is recommended to take enterosorbents:

Enterosgel;
Polyphepan;
Smecta;
Filtrum.

Compliance with the diet. E. coli can be cured by observing a special diet. The menu should include more cereals cooked with water, slimy soups, boiled vegetables, lean meat and steamed fish.

Prevention

E. coli is destroyed during cooking, baking, pasteurization. However, this rule applies provided that the temperature is at least 70°C and the process continues for at least 2 minutes. Unlike others, the E. coli bacterium is characterized by resistance to cold, acidic environment, drying and high salt concentration.

Preventive actions to prevent diseases caused by E. coli:

Compliance with personal hygiene: thorough washing of hands and face after the street and crowded places, a competent approach to intimate hygiene.
Monitoring the purity of consumed raw products and bringing milk and meat to the desired state.
Drink only high quality water.
Use of disposable clothing in hospitals.
Hygiene and health monitoring of pets.
Regular cleaning of residential premises using reliable, but not aggressive detergents.
Caution to meals in catering establishments and during holidays in hot countries.

Among the many microorganisms that inhabit the human body, Escherichia coli stands out. There are various strains of this bacterium, most of which are harmless and are part of the normal intestinal flora. E. coli is necessary for the production of certain vitamins (for example, K), as well as to prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms. However, some strains of Escherichia coli are pathogenic and can cause serious poisoning if they enter the gastrointestinal tract.

When released into other organs and body cavities, even non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli can cause the development of pathologies. What happens to the body if, when analyzing a smear, E. coli is found in it?

Causes and symptoms of the presence of Escherichia coli in a smear

During a preventive examination by a gynecologist, women take a swab for the flora - an analysis that allows you to assess the composition of the microflora, the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina, and diagnose diseases. In a healthy woman, the vaginal microflora is 95% composed of lactobacilli. E. coli should not normally be present in the smear. The presence of this bacterium in the genital tract may not give visible symptoms, but most often, in this case, the woman has a yellowish discharge with an unpleasant odor.

Once in the vagina and multiplying, E. coli leads to a disruption in the normal balance of microflora and can cause an inflammatory process. Thus, this bacterium is often the cause of diseases such as bacterial vaginosis, cervicitis, adnexitis, etc. Further, the infection easily spreads to the cervix and ovaries. Entering the urethra, E. coli can cause cystitis, as well as affect the bladder and kidneys.

There are several reasons for the presence of E. coli in a smear:

non-compliance with the rules of intimate hygiene, improper washing procedure;
wearing the wrong underwear;
unprotected anal-vaginal intimate relationships.

The presence of E. coli in a smear is especially dangerous for pregnant women, since during childbirth a child can also get an infection through the birth canal.

How to get rid of E. coli?

If E. coli is found in the smear, then treatment should be started immediately. Treatment is carried out by a gynecologist on an outpatient basis and is a course of antibiotics lasting about 7 days.

Before prescribing drugs, as a rule, the sensitivity of bacteria to certain antibiotics is determined. This is a very important procedure for effective treatment, as some strains of E. coli may be resistant to the action of various types of drugs.

If a woman is pregnant, then antibiotics are prescribed that are approved for use during this period and do not affect the growth and development of the fetus. Strict adherence to all doctor's recommendations will help to avoid negative consequences.

After a course of antibiotic therapy, it is recommended to take drugs that promote recovery normal balance of microflora (probiotics). Local immunomodulators can also be prescribed to help restore the protective functions of the vaginal walls.

The human body contains a huge amount of bacterial microflora. Most bacteria are saprophytes, bacteria coexisting with the host organism without causing disease, but rather providing benefits. E. coli or Escherichia Collie is a bright representative of such cohabitation.

The normal habitat for E. coli is the intestines. Being here, Escherichia collie fully fulfills its positive functions:

- E. collie is an antagonist (irreconcilable adversary) in relation to the causative agents of intestinal infections (shigella, salmonella, putrefactive microbes).
- Actively participates in the formation of local immunity.
- Helps in the synthesis of B vitamins, K, folic acid, nicotinic acid.
- Takes part in water-salt and lipid metabolism.
- Promotes bowel function (improves peristalsis and nutrient absorption processes; helps to break down complex carbohydrates).

As you can see, E. coli is a positive bacterium from all sides. But we must not forget that Escherichia Collie is called an opportunistic pathogen. Why?

The fact is that in case of a decrease in immunity, or when it enters other places in the body, E. coli causes diseases. The fair sex, young children, the elderly are at risk. In cases with children and the elderly, the occurrence of diseases is more influenced by low immunity. It is worth understanding why women also fall into this risk zone.

Causes

The anatomical device of a woman increases the chances of E. coli getting into the organs of the genitourinary system (the vagina and anus are nearby). This happens under the influence of many factors.

Decreased immunity. In a completely healthy woman, the vaginal microflora performs protective functions and completely suppresses the growth of pathogenic (pathogenic) flora.

However, in the event of a decrease in local (dysbacteriosis) or general immunity of a woman, the vaginal microflora is not able to destroy the offender. And Escherichia collie, getting into a humid and warm environment, begins to multiply, causing inflammation in the vagina.

Violation of hygiene measures. Incorrect washing process (washing the genitals from the anus to the pubis), rare washing without the use of detergents (soap, special gels) help E. coli penetrate the vagina. Wearing very tight, tight and synthetic underwear, using common hygiene items (towel, washcloths, etc.).

Passion for anal sex. Failure to comply with basic safety rules for anal sex (sex without a condom, without changing the condom after inserting a penis into the anus) leads to insemination of the penis with Escherichia coli first, and then the vagina. It is also possible to develop inflammation of the urethra in a man, with the subsequent development of inflammatory processes in the prostate and kidneys.

Ladies entering the menopause have the highest possible risks of insemination with Escherichia coli. This is due to a decrease in immunity, changes in hormonal levels, age-related changes in the microflora of the vagina.

What is the danger of getting E. coli into the organs of the genitourinary system?

Escherichia coli, getting into the vagina, the urethra cause inflammation of these organs. As a result, the infection has the ability to rise above and cause damage to the bladder (cystitis), kidneys (pyelonephritis).

The detection of E. coli in a smear in women during pregnancy can threaten the health of the child. To overcome the placental barrier, E. coli is not able to. However, there is a possibility that E. coli enters the child's body during labor (passage of the child through the birth canal). As a result, the newborn may develop meningitis.

Symptoms

With a slight ingestion of E. coli in the vagina or urethra, there will be no symptoms. The body will suppress the growth of these bacteria. However, if the colonies of E. collie have grown, an inflammatory process develops. Depending on the generalization of the process, the following manifestations of the disease occur:

Frequent, painful urination (symptoms of cystitis - inflammation of the bladder).
Profuse discharge from the vagina. The discharge may be white, yellowish. These are symptoms of vaginitis (colpitis) - inflammation of the vagina.
Pain during sexual intercourse, loss of sexual desire.
Lethargy, weakness, headache, fever (symptoms of intoxication).

It is almost impossible to detect the presence of E. coli in a simple microflora smear. The development of the inflammatory process will tell the high content of leukocytes as a result of the analysis.

Therefore, with a high level of leukocytes, bakposev is always prescribed, which will show E. coli. Simultaneously with the identification of the pathogen, an antibiotic sensitivity analysis will also be carried out (this will be needed to prescribe the most effective treatment).

In cases of detection of E. coli up to 104 CFU / ml in a smear culture and a good vaginal microflora, treatment is not necessary. But if the microflora is weak, or the indicators exceed the norm, then it is necessary to conduct a course of treatment.

Treatment

Treatment is prescribed on a strictly individual basis, based on the results of bacterial culture. Antibiotics are prescribed according to the degree of sensitivity. That is why it is impossible to self-medicate, an incorrectly chosen antibiotic will not destroy the infection, but will weaken the defenses of its own microflora. As a result, the infection will penetrate deeper and cause more severe inflammation. A good effect will show treatment with bacteriophages (literally "devouring bacteria").

Competent observance of measures of personal hygiene will enhance the effect of treatment. It is recommended to wash with a decoction of chamomile, calendula. These herbs have pronounced anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

To increase local immunity, vaginal suppositories (Acylat, Vaginorm) and douching with therapeutic solutions are used. It will be useful to use drugs that eliminate dysbacteriosis: Linex, Bifiform and others.

During the treatment period, you must follow a diet:

Avoid fatty, fried, salty, smoked foods.
Any pastries made from yeast dough also fall under the ban.
Pickled foods (cabbage, cucumbers) should be temporarily excluded from the diet.
Beer, wine and other alcohol should not be consumed during treatment.
It is allowed to eat boiled food and steamed dishes. The meat should not be fatty.
It is necessary to introduce yoghurts (natural) and biokefir into the diet. This will help in restoring the normal intestinal microflora (and therefore improve immunity).

If the general condition is not severely impaired, then the treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis. At the end of the treatment cycle, it is necessary to pass repeated tests.

Prevention

As you know, any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, prevention is our everything! First of all, it is necessary to carefully observe personal hygiene measures. Regular proper washing of the perineum and genitals will prevent E. coli from entering the vagina. Avoid synthetic, tight underwear. It is better to replace thongs with slip panties made of natural fabrics. Try not to use other people's towels, washcloths, razors, and so on.

Avoid anal sex if possible. Or, protect yourself as much as possible: use a change of condoms after inserting the penis into the anus.

Visit your gynecologist regularly. The frequency of visits should be at least 2 times a year (once every 6 months). Such a frequency of visits will allow timely detection of the development of pathological conditions and take appropriate measures.

Maintaining a healthy immune system is equally important. To do this, it is recommended to eat right (give up fatty, harmful, increase the amount of fruits in the diet, introduce vegetables, fish, lean meats, etc.), visit the fresh air more often, play sports and harden.

Timely treatment of diseases by specialists is of great importance for maintaining the normal microflora of the body. Self-medication, namely the illiterate use of antibiotics, leads to the emergence of bacterial strains that are resistant to most known antibiotics. The emerging diseases caused by such superbugs are very difficult and time consuming to treat.

E. coli in men lives in the rectum, near the exit from the anus. If hygiene is not observed, it can easily get into other organs.

This bacterium is beneficial if it is in sufficient quantity to take part in the synthesis of vitamins.

Diseases

When it enters certain organs, it causes various infectious diseases.

If found in feces, then it came from the intestines.
In urine - the pathology of the urinary system.
In a smear from the urethra - inflammation of the testicle or its appendages.
Causes prostatitis.

To avoid getting infected:

Keep the groin area clean.
Avoid unprotected intercourse.
Take a shower after sex.
Wear neat, comfortable clothing.

Causes

There are also food pathogenic strains of intestinal microbes. Ways of infection - spoiled food, contaminated water. To avoid infection you need:

Pay attention to the labels of the products you buy. Expired - a source of infection.
Wash hands after using the toilet and visiting the street, before eating.
Drink purified water. In a dirty microbes live and multiply.
Wash food with boiling water.
After your favorite pets, work with the earth, disinfect your hands.

Kinds

The gut microbe has over 100 strains. Conventionally, they can be divided into 4 rows.

Enterohemorrhagic. When it becomes infected, enterocolitis develops, the urethra is affected. Symptoms:

Severe cutting in the abdomen, liquid spotting.
A sharp increase in temperature (up to 39 ° C).
All signs of intoxication appear - nausea, vomiting.
Through the urethra, the infection enters the kidneys. Develops renal failure, pyelonephritis.
The stick can damage the liver.

At the beginning there are no symptoms, it is possible to determine the disease only by research. Urinalysis shows the presence of protein. Hemoglobin drops.

Enteropathogenic is very rare. Sometimes it can penetrate, causing nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia, and abdominal pain.

Enterotoxigenic- characterized by the fact that the bacterium is located in the rectum. The stool, in this infection, is very watery, but without blood. Suffering from nausea and vomiting. It is found in a smear in men.

Inter-invasive similar to dysentery. These are frequent urination, loose stools with blood, nausea, and vomiting.

Common to all types of Escherichia coli is that, once it enters the body, it multiplies intensively, toxins are released, causing diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. The intestines suffer the most.

The infection affects the genitourinary system, liver, kidneys. Symptoms appear within a few days, the incubation period of infection is about a week.

In a smear

During the reception, the infectious disease specialist takes bacteriological material. The man does not feel any signs of illness, but a smear analysis shows the presence of inflammation.

It is urgent to start treatment. The infection quickly spreads through the genitourinary system and affects the genitals. May cause inflammation of the prostate, kidneys. E. coli can be treated with antibiotics permanently in an infectious diseases hospital.

In a mild form of infection, a male thrush occurs. The reason may be unprotected sex and non-compliance with cleanliness. To prevent candidiasis, you must:

Do not neglect personal hygiene.
Use gels for intimate areas.
Be sure to take a shower after intercourse with the use of special antibacterial agents.

in the urine

In the bladder, the infection does not manifest itself for a long time. Very rarely, the body itself copes with the problem, but in most cases the stick causes cystitis:

Symptoms of the disease:

Burning in urethra.
Rise in temperature, chills.
Urine has an unpleasant odor.
Drawing pain in the back.

If symptoms of infection appear, a course of antibiotics is needed, which the doctor will select. By contacting a specialist in a timely manner, you will get rid of complications.

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The detection of E. coli (Escherichia Coli) in smears in men raises many questions, both for men themselves and for their partners. Often, men do not take the time to go to the doctor, find laboratories where they do a smear without a referral, and after receiving the results, they begin to be treated on their own. This is an extremely wrong and even dangerous approach.

Looking ahead, let's say that simply detecting E. coli in a smear from the urethra does not carry any information, an additional examination is needed, which can only be prescribed by a doctor. And treatment is not always needed.

E. coli is the most studied bacterium on earth. E.Coli is a gram-negative bacterium with an elongated shape. E. coli lives mainly in the lower sections of the large intestine, and not only of humans, but of all warm-blooded animals.

Most of its strains belong to the normal intestinal microflora. They suppress the reproduction of dangerous pathogenic bacteria, are involved in the synthesis of certain vitamins, and in the digestion of food. These are non-pathogenic strains. Living in the intestines, they bring only benefits. Getting into other organs, they can cause diseases, but only with a significant decrease in protective forces. Non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli can normally be present in the vagina, as well as in the male urethra.

However, pathogenic species of this bacterium are also isolated. When multiplying in the body, these species secrete enterotoxin, which causes severe diseases - escherichiosis. The disease proceeds as an intestinal infection (abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, intoxication), inflammation of the genitourinary system, less often it causes meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, pneumonia, sepsis.

How does E. coli enter the urethra?

Up to 80% of diseases of the genitourinary system are caused by Escherichia coli. These are prostatitis, urethritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, orchiepididymitis. And it gets into these organs almost always in an ascending way, that is, from the urethra.

E.Coli enters the urethra by contact from the environment:

from the anal canal if proper hygiene is not observed (see);
during anal sex;
less often - from other sources (for example, swimming in open water).

In women, E. coli in smears from the cervical canal and urethra is more common, but in healthy men it is detected in 25-30% of cases.

E.Coli infection is not a sexually transmitted infection. Should this infection be treated?

In what cases is a smear taken from men?

The study of urethral secretions are different. A man himself goes to the doctor usually already with existing complaints and much less often - with a preventive purpose. Common complaints in men are:

pain and cramps when urinating;
not observed before;
redness of the external opening of the urethra;
rashes on the penis;
pain during intercourse.

The natural desire of a man is to exclude STDs. All men who turn to a urologist, andrologist or venereologist are prescribed for the presence of inflammatory changes and microbial flora. A narrow sterile swab is inserted 2-3 cm into the urethra, then the resulting material is applied to a glass slide, dried and sent to the laboratory. There it is stained and examined under a conventional microscope.

A smear can also be prescribed in the absence of complaints:

When detecting vaginitis in a sexual partner.
When examining a couple about childlessness.
Before urological operations or manipulations.

What the laboratory assistant can see:

leukocytes (normally there should be no more than 5 in the field of view);
erythrocytes (no more than 2-3);
epithelial cells (no more than 10);
mucus (moderate amount);
cocci or Escherichia coli (normally single in the preparation);
fungi;
gonococci (see);

If there are inflammatory changes (a large number of leukocytes, erythrocytes, epithelial cells, mucus), and gonococci and Trichomonas are not detected, they are prescribed to detect chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, genital herpes, as well as sowing urethral secretions on nutrient media.

When can Escherichia Coli cause harm?

Why is the presence of E. coli in the urethra asymptomatic in some men, while in others it causes various diseases? When E.Coli enters the urethra, there are several options for its further development:

Temporary carriage - the bacterium "lives" in the genitourinary tract for some time and is eliminated by the body's defenses.
Permanent asymptomatic carriage: the bacterium persists in the genitourinary tract, but its growth is restrained by the same protective factors.
Intensive reproduction and development of the disease.

Predisposing factors for the development of the disease during infection with Escherichia coli are:

Treatment of E. coli in men

The first question that should be asked when E. coli is detected in a smear in men is: to treat or not to treat?

If during the examination E. coli is accidentally detected, but the man is not bothered by anything, there are no inflammatory changes in the smear, there is no need to treat such carriage. In the absence of complaints, treatment should be prescribed only before surgical procedures on the genitourinary organs.

But, even if a man has signs of an inflammatory process, this does not mean at all that it is caused by the detected E. Coli. It often accompanies other infections. Therefore, men with various inflammatory processes in the urogenital tract should always be examined for all sexually transmitted infections.

In practice it usually goes like this:

Treatment of the partner is indicated only if she has clinical signs of inflammation.

What is the danger of self-medication?

E. coli is an opportunistic pathogen, it can be present in smears without causing any harm. There is no need to treat such a carrier.

Taking antibiotics without a doctor's prescription will lead to dysbacteriosis, as well as an increase in bacterial resistance. It turns out that the antibiotic will kill a harmless bacillus, but other strains that are insensitive to this drug are activated. Then the treatment, if it is really needed, will be much more difficult.

In addition, under the cover of Escherichia coli, other infections can be hidden that are not detected by microscopy. If they are not detected in time, you can miss the time of treatment, which is ineffective for such infections.

Only a specialist can prescribe the correct plan for examination and treatment.