Olivia Howard45 said:Can some kind soul explain this urine culture result to me? Microorganism count ml Resident flora of the distal urethra
By the way, my OB/GYN sent me for a culture because of a few stray bacteria in my urinalysis. I asked on a pregnancy forum, but got no answer.
Ma'am,
The end portion of the urinary tract (the distal urethra) is naturally populated by various microorganisms, which we refer to as resident flora.
This makes proper sample collection vital for accurate microbiological processing. Essentially, you should clean the area thoroughly beforehand (wash with soap and rinse with water), hold the labia apart during the process, catch the midstream flow in a sterile container—discarding the initial stream—and get that sample to the lab within two hours.
If the sample isn't collected correctly—say, if there wasn't sufficient cleaning, if the urine touches the skin or fingers, or if the first stream is used instead of the midstream—contamination occurs, leading to inaccurate results.
The second issue, which complicates interpretation particularly in pregnant women, is that sometimes the very bacteria that normally reside in the distal urethra can actually trigger an infection.
I think it would be wise, in consultation with your OB/GYN, to repeat the urine culture, paying extra attention to ensuring the sample is collected perfectly.
Ma'am, please start by reviewing these threads: topic 1, topic 2 and topic 3.
The PDFs for Fitness & Recreation and Nutrition & Health contain a wealth of data—workout regimens, meal plans, and various insights. You’ll likely find the advice in those documents far more practical and actionable than anything else here.
vividtiger94 said:I've had this since birth, and it seems to be spreading; nearly a quarter of my iris is affected now. When I saw an eye doctor during puberty (I have a mild prescription), I asked about the discoloration. He told me it wasn't related to my vision issues and that nothing looked suspicious. I haven't dwelled on it much, but what you mentioned is news to me. 😁 Should I ask for a referral to see a specialist just to be safe?
Having a low prescription—nearsightedness, I assume, though the specific type of refractive error doesn't matter here—is entirely unrelated to pigment distribution issues within the iris stroma.
I was considering other syndromes where such pigment changes might occur, but I won't bore you with those details; you would likely be dealing with much more significant symptoms (such as hearing loss, skin issues, or cognitive impairments).
I assume your ophthalmologist performed a slit-lamp exam.
It sounds like you fall into the first category of heterochromia: congenital and likely hereditary. This is simply a difference in iris color without any accompanying health complications.
As for whether you should seek a second opinion, I can't make that call for you. That's a personal decision. Through an online forum, I have no way of assessing your actual clinical status.
vividtiger94 said:Maybe this helps. I have heterochromia myself—well, blue-gray eyes with a brown spot in one eye that seems to be spreading as I age. My biology professor explained that the brown pigmentation expands because it’s a dominant trait, and there's a chance that in twenty years, I'll have one blue-gray iris and one brown one. If anyone here knows more about the mechanics of this, let me know. 😁 By the way, my eyes look grayer when it's cloudy, but they turn deep blue when I'm out at the beach in the sun. It seems 🤷 like there's a connection to the ambient light quality. 🤷
As for the diet stuff... 🤦
What you're describing is quite rare; it's known as sectoral, partial, or segmental iris heterochromia. It can be congenital—present from birth—which usually points to a developmental or genetic factor (often autosomal dominant). Alternatively, it can be acquired later in life, typically as a result of ocular trauma or certain underlying medical conditions. While it can be a benign variation in color, it sometimes correlates with other issues within a larger syndrome.
One should also consider that localized discoloration might stem from an iris nevus (a mole), which can grow and cause the pigmented area to expand. Such changes require regular monitoring.
What you’re describing is a separate issue entirely. We’re discussing what happens when someone isn't happy with their natural eye color and wants to change it to something else by choice. You are correct, however, regarding your point: the perceived shade or intensity of color shifts depending on the lighting. It’s much like how eye color evolves over time. Most newborns start with various shades of blue before they settle, and as people age—or deal with certain health conditions—that color can shift again.
What you’re talking about, electriccobra76, is exactly the laser procedure I had in mind, but the FDA hasn't given it the green light yet. So, for now, the answer remains the same: if you want to change your eye color on command, colored contact lenses are your only real option.
That response wasn't directed at you, vividsailor7, but rather at Kate Jackson83. Since I wasn't addressing your inquiry specifically, I have no intention of answering it—or rather, my answer is this: none. 🙂
Right now, if you want to switch up your eye color, you’re stuck with colored contact lenses. However, one biotech firm is currently working on a laser technique designed to permanently shift eye pigment from brown to blue.
Based on what you mentioned regarding the sore throat, I suspect the doctor suspected strep throat, which is likely why she opted for antibiotics. If strep was indeed the suspicion (and I’ll clarify here that since I haven't examined the child myself, I don't know the exact diagnosis), and assuming there's no penicillin allergy, then Sumamed wouldn't be the first choice for treating that specific condition. That said, without an actual exam, I won't venture into commenting on the prescription, and I certainly wouldn't suggest changing any medication through an online forum!
Regarding the comments on these lab results, several other doctors frequent this thread, so they will likely weigh in with their own perspectives on both the findings and the pediatrician's notes. From my perspective, everything you've transcribed looks like a perfectly normal report for a 16-month-old.
When was the blood drawn (relative to when symptoms started—how many days into the illness)? It’s honestly baffling that, given these results (Erc 4.64 and leukocyte high ref interval 0), the doctor is claiming both the leukocytes and erythrocytes are elevated. Looking at this data, it's clearly not the case.
The lab results you listed are perfectly normal. What prompted the blood work—is there a specific reason you're concerned? From what I can see, everything you've noted is exactly where it should be.
It’s difficult to speculate without a proper clinical evaluation. One possibility for this sudden, fleeting period of confusion could be a TIA—a transient ischemic attack. Think of it as a temporary disruption in blood flow that starves specific parts of the brain of oxygen and nutrients. It’s significant because it serves as a warning sign for a potential stroke.
Another thought is that this might be some form of cerebral seizure. To be clear, I'm not necessarily talking about epilepsy—which typically requires repeated episodes—but rather a singular neurological event that can stem from various underlying causes.
I strongly recommend getting your father to see as soon as possible a neurologist for a full workup!
Linda Smith69 said:Thank you all so much! We will definitely run another CBC. I assume that to reach a final diagnosis for a thyroglossal duct cyst, we need to check thyroid function via blood tests 🤷. The cyst isn't infected; the skin there looks normal, and the little one isn't showing any symptoms.
A diagnosis for this kind of cyst is typically made through physical exams and ultrasound; rarely, a biopsy or other imaging like a CT might be necessary. A definitive diagnosis is only confirmed after surgical removal and a histopathological exam (looking at the tissue sample under a microscope).
While a thyroglossal duct cyst is essentially a developmental hiccup in the thyroid gland, it doesn't necessarily mean the thyroid isn't functioning properly. Testing thyroid hormone levels should be done based on clinical necessity.
Linda Smith69 said:No swelling in the lymph nodes. Just some extra drooling because he's teething. Everything else seems fine, so I suspect those blood work fluctuations are linked to that lump/cyst under his neck.
Thank you very much. 🙂!
I don't think those minor fluctuations in the leukocyte differential are linked to the mass on the neck—the one we previously discussed as potentially being a midline cervical cyst. It's true that such cysts can occasionally become infected, but if that were the case, there would be clinical symptoms present, and you wouldn't see these specific changes in the blood work.
That’s why I’m leaning toward my initial assumption—which Colleague Sashica also confirmed—that this finding is likely just a trace left behind by some viral infection. It probably passed through clinically inapparent, meaning it slipped by without any noticeable symptoms.
It would be wise to run these tests again after some time has passed. I’m confident they’ll come back normal then.
Please provide the total white blood cell count so we can calculate the absolute counts for each specific type. Those numbers matter significantly more than just the percentages. Also, please transcribe the full CBC—I need the actual values for every individual leukocyte type, not just the ones flagged as being outside the reference range.
Has the little one dealt with any viral infections lately?
Skin itching can be localized to one spot or generalized across the entire body. Generally, there are three categories: itching accompanied by visible skin changes, itching without visible changes linked to systemic issues (think diabetes, liver disease, kidney dysfunction, or thyroid disorders), and itching where nothing is visible on the skin and no organ failure is present—likely triggered by psychological factors.
If the current treatment doesn't cut it, you'll need to see a dermatologist. They will likely order a battery of tests, such as a complete blood count, liver panels, kidney function tests, thyroid hormone levels, urinalysis, and stool samples to check for parasites.
If you aren't experiencing any symptoms (and I'm assuming you aren't), there’s really no reason to start antibiotics. It’s highly likely the lab result was just a false positive caused by contamination—perhaps the sample touched skin during collection, or maybe it wasn't a midstream catch, meaning the end of the urethra wasn't properly flushed out.