title: Urinary findings in young adults in Abakaliki, Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of urinary abnormalities in young adults living in Abakaliki, Southeastern Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty (250) clean-catched mid-stream urine samples obtained between October 2005 and June 2006 from apparently healthy young adults, aged 18-25 years (mean = 19.7 +/- 4.1 years) resident in Abakaliki, comprising 151 (60.4%) females and 99 (39.6%) males were analysed using standard laboratory procedures and techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of urinary abnormalities was found to be 20.7%. In addition to leucocyte esterase and pyuria, which were found in significantly more female samples than the males' (p < 0.05), there were generally more abnormalities in female urine samples than their male counterparts (p < 0.05). The major abnormalities recorded were pyuria (47.1%), bacteriuria (21.6%), proteinuria (14.0%) and haematuria (8.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding supports routine urine screening as an important disease surveillance approach in young adults Nigerians resident in Abakaliki metropolis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria. ugwuja@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Ugwuja
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Ugwu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000652:urine*; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016482:Urinalysis; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult