Final answer:
A UTI is diagnosed when an organism is found in pure culture at a concentration greater than 100,000 CFU/ml of urine. UTIs commonly involve pathogens like E. coli, and diagnosis is confirmed by urine culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
A urinary tract infection (UTI) can be diagnosed if an organism isolated from a clean catch midstream specimen (CCMS) is found in pure culture and is present in a quantity greater than 100,000 colony-forming units per milliliter of urine. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections and can be caused by a range of pathogens, particularly gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, with E. coli being the most common. When a patient presents symptoms of a UTI, a urine culture is typically performed to confirm the diagnosis and to guide appropriate antibiotic treatment.