Some bacteria convert nitrate into nitrite
Biomarker library
Urinalysis
Urine nitrites
Nitrites in urine are a sign of bacteria. Many of the bacteria that cause urine infections, such as E. coli, turn nitrate from food into nitrite.
Measured in your health assessment, with a doctor to explain your result. Book yours
Why it matters
A positive nitrite test is quite specific for infection, but a negative one doesn't rule it out: some bacteria don't make nitrite, and urine needs a few hours in the bladder for it to build up.
What a result can mean
Lower than the range
Negative is the normal result.
Higher than the range
A positive result suggests a urinary tract infection, especially with symptoms such as burning, needing to go often or urgently. A contaminated sample can occasionally cause it.
What can help
Drinking enough and not putting off going to the toilet help prevent infections. A positive result with symptoms is usually treated with antibiotics, sometimes after a urine culture.
Read it with
NoteGeneral educational illustration. Colours, sizes and movement are simplified. This is not a scan or a simulation of your body. General information, not personal medical advice: a doctor reads your own results with your history.
Know your urine nitrites.
Measured in your health assessment and explained by the doctor who reviews your results.