title: Reagent strip testing of antenatal urine specimens for infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare reagent strip testing (RST) with microscopy and culture in identifying significant bacteriuria, and secondly, to consider potential cost savings if RST screening proved to be reliable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antenatal Clinic, Bristol Maternity Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight hundred and ninety-eight women having urine testing in pregnancy for microscopy and culture either routinely or because of a clinical infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The midstream specimens of urine had RST examination using Ames Multistix 8SG prior to being sent to the laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Significant culture (> 10(5) colonies/ml) of a single organism in culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest predictive value for a negative result of the urine culture (99.7%) was obtained when using four RSTs in combination. The RST for nitrite had a high predictive value for a positive urine culture (90%). The samples which gave a false negative result with RST screening were mainly infected with low grade urinary pathogens or genital tract contaminants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RST screening for bacteriuria provides a reliable and cheap alternative to culture of all urine specimens.
authors.affiliation: St. Michael's Hospital, Bristol.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Etherington
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips