Identification of site of urinary-tract infections by antibody-coated bacteria assay

Accurate identification of the site of urinary-tract infection (UTI) may be clinically and epidemiologically valuable. A review of the literature on the assessment of the antibody-coated bacteria (ACB) assay, a non-invasive technique introducted five years ago, shows that, compared with acceptable standards (bilateral ureteral catheterization or bladder washout), the overall sensitivity of the ACB assay is 83.1%, the specificity is 76.7%, the predictive value positive is 81.3%, and the predictive value negative is 78.8%. These findings suggest that the ACB assay has at present no role in the management of patients with UTI. Its usefulness as an epidemiological tool remains to be demonstrated.