Screening for bacteriuria in urological patients using reagent strips.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) require prompt diagnosis for effective antibiotic management, particularly in pre-operative urological patients.
• Current diagnostic methods can be time-consuming, delaying critical treatment decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of commercially available reagent strips for diagnosing urinary infections in a ward setting.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of reagent strips against formal urine culture in pre-operative and post-operative urological samples.

Main Methods:

• A screening technique utilizing reagent strips (testing for nitrite and leucocyte esterase) was compared with formal urine culture.
• A total of 222 pre-operative and 83 post-operative urine samples were analyzed.

Main Results:

• For pre-operative samples, reagent strips demonstrated a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 85% compared to formal culture.
• Results for post-operative samples were less favorable, with sensitivity at 71% and specificity at 55%.
• The strips showed good specificity for identifying pyuria in pre-operative specimens.

Conclusions:

• Urine reagent strips serve as a valuable, rapid ward-based tool for identifying pre-operative urological patients at risk of urinary infection.
• This screening method can potentially improve the selective use of peri-operative antibiotics, optimizing patient care.