title: Poor predictive ability of urinalysis and microscopic examination to detect urinary tract infection.
abstract: Results of urinalysis, particularly the leukocyte esterase and nitrite tests, often are used to determine whether treatment is needed or a culture will be performed in cases of suspected urinary tract infection. However, there is disagreement over the quality of urinalysis as a screening test for urinary tract infections. Final urine culture results (n = 225) were obtained from the clinical microbiology laboratory. Stepwise binary logistic regression was used to derive a model using presence of infection as determined by culture as the dependent variable and urinalysis results as independent variables. A second set of data (n = 128) then was obtained to test the model. Statistical significance and the ability to predict infection based on urinalysis results were determined. Results indicated a lack of sensitivity for leukocyte esterase, nitrite, and presence of bacteria in the microscopic examination as indicators of urinary tract infection.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Van Nostrand
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Junkins
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Bartholdi
mesh_terms: D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009573:Nitrites / Q000652:urine; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016482:Urinalysis; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; C021443:leukocyte esterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases