Urinalysis predictive of urine culture results.
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.
Bailey
B L
BL
UAB/Selma Family Medicine Center 36701.
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*