title: A unilateral purple urine bag syndrome in a patient with bilateral nephrostomy tubes.
abstract: A change in the colour of urine is always of clinical significance, and a source of concern for the patient and his physician. Among the different urine colours observed, purple is the least common. Although purple discolouration of a catheter and a urine bag is an uncommon finding, it was reported in the literature as early as 1978, by Barlow and Dickson. We present a unique case of purple urine bag syndrome in a patient with bilateral nephrostomy tubes (NT) and associated urine bags (UB) with only the left nephrostomy tube and urine bag exhibiting the purple colour, which resolved with a course of appropriate antibiotics eradicating the causative bacterial pathogen, and change of NT and UB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Firas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abed
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bachuwa
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D003116:Color; D006801:Humans; D007203:Indigo Carmine / Q000378:metabolism; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013577:Syndrome; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007211:Indoles; D007203:Indigo Carmine; C027185:indirubin