title: Screening for bacteriuria in urological patients using reagent strips.
abstract: A rapid and accurate ward-based method of diagnosing urinary infection would be of value in determining the prescription of antibiotics in pre-operative urological patients. This study describes the sensitivity and specificity of a screening technique based on commercially available reagent strips in the diagnosis of urinary infection. A total of 222 pre-operative samples and 83 post-operative samples was studied to compare the results of formal urine culture and reagent strips. Using a definition of a positive nitrite or a positive leucocyte esterase on the reagent strips as being suggestive of infection, it was found that the strips had a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 85% compared with formal culture in pre-operative samples. The results from post-operative samples were less satisfactory, the strips having a sensitivity of only 71% and specificity of 55%. The strips were insensitive but specific in the identification of pyuria in pre-operative specimens. These results suggest that reagent strips can be used as a ward-based method to identify men at risk of infection before urological procedures, and may allow selectivity in the use of peri-operative antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Neal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000592:standards; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips