Urinary findings in young adults in Abakaliki, Nigeria.
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.
Ugwuja
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EI
Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria. ugwuja@yahoo.com
Ugwu
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NC
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