Comparing Two Automated Techniques for the Primary Screening-Out of Urine Culture

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Medical Laboratory Technology

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, causing significant morbidity.
• Conventional urine culture for UTI diagnosis is time-consuming (≥24 h).
• A rapid screening method is needed to reduce laboratory workload and expedite diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic performance of Sysmex UF-1000i and FUS200 automated urine analyzers.
• To evaluate these systems against urine culture as the gold standard for UTI diagnosis.
• To assess technical features for selecting optimal laboratory equipment.

Main Methods:

• A total of 1,220 urine samples were analyzed between March and June 2016.
• Samples were tested in parallel using Sysmex UF-1000i and FUS200 analyzers.
• Diagnostic performance was evaluated using urine culture as the reference standard.

Main Results:

• Optimal cut-off values were determined: UF-1000i (138 bacteria/μL or 119.8 leukocytes/μL) and FUS200 (5.7 bacteria/μL or 4.3 leukocytes/μL).
• UF-1000i achieved 95.3% sensitivity and 70.4% specificity; FUS200 achieved 95.8% sensitivity and 44.4% specificity.
• The UF-1000i reduced cultured plates by 58.3%, and the FUS200 by 37.4%.

Conclusions:

• Both Sysmex UF-1000i and FUS200 improve laboratory workflow for UTI diagnosis.
• The UF-1000i offers superior specificity, while the FUS200 provides faster sample processing.
• Automated urine analyzers are valuable tools for efficient UTI screening and workload reduction.