Screening obstetric out-patients for bacteriuria

Two hundred urine samples were obtained at the out-patient Obstetric-Gynecology Clinic, Loyola University Medical Center, from women in various stages of pregnancy. The specimens were screened for bacteriuria using a new dehydrated and miniaturized culture medium and the results compared with standard agar cultures. Of the urines examined, 6.5% proved to be bacteriuruic (greater than 10(5) organisms/ml) based on agar cultures; results from the new culture method correlated well, yielding 11 true positives versus 13 from the agar plate and only 2 false positives in 200.