title: Urinalysis predictive of urine culture results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most clinicians treat patients for presumptive urinary tract infections based on urinalysis findings. Which of these findings is the best predictor of infection?
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cross-sectional study of 202 serial subjects of all ages was conducted over 8 months in a typical family medicine setting. Urinalysis and culture were performed concurrently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best predictors for significant bacteriuria (defined as a culture with more than 50,000 colony-forming units) were > or = 2+ bacteriuria (sensitivity, 0.74; specificity, 0.80), or > or = 10 white blood cells per high-power field (sensitivity, 0.816; specificity, 0.651), or a positive nitrite test (sensitivity, 0.395; specificity, 0.929). The optimal combination of any two of the three predictor variables also was determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standard urinalysis results can be highly predictive of infection in typical family practice patients.
authors: UAB/Selma Family Medicine Center 36701.
authors: B L
authors: BL
authors: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000407:Alabama; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011776:Pyuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016482:Urinalysis; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*