Asymptomatic pyuria and bacteriuria are not risk factors for urinary tract infection in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus initiated SGLT2 inhibitors.

PURPOSE: Asymptomatic pyuria and bacteriuria are more prevalent in diabetic patients and may be associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim of this study is to investigate the association between asymptomatic pyuria/bacteriuria at the initiation of SGLT2 inhibitor and UTI risk in female patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study was designed as a practical, single-center, prospective, cohort study. The female outpatients with type 2 diabetes initiated SGLT2 inhibitor were included. Patients who were symptomatic or treated in the past 3 months for urinary or genital tract infection, had a high risk for UTI were excluded. Hospitalization/antibiotic use for indications other than UTI were exclusion criteria during follow-up. All patients were followed up for 3 months. Pyuria and bacteriuria were exposure and, UTI was the outcome. Cumulative incidence and relative risk of UTI were analyzed for pyuria and bacteriuria. RESULTS: 143 female patients were included among 1132 female type 2 diabetic patients. 13 patients were excluded during follow-up. 41.5% of the patients (n = 54) had pyuria and 28.5% (n = 37) had bacteriuria. The cumulative incidence of UTI was 20% in the whole cohort, 25,9% (n = 14/54) in the pyuria group and 18.9% (n = 7/37) in the bacteriuria group. The relative risk of UTI was 1.64 (95% CI: 0.82-3.26, p = 0.15) for pyuria, 0.92 (95% CI: 0.42-2.01, p = 0.84) for bacteriuria, and 1.2 (95% CI: 0.47-3.08, p = 0.69) for pyuria plus bacteriuria. Adjusted odd ratios revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic pyuria/bacteriuria at the initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors are not risk factors for UTI in women with type 2 diabetes.

Current Pyuria Cutoffs Promote Inappropriate Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis in Older Women.

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), cognitive impairment, and the high prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) complicate the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in older women. The presence of pyuria remains the cornerstone of UTI diagnosis. However, >90% of ASB patients have pyuria, prompting unnecessary treatment. We quantified pyuria by automated microscopy and flowcytometry to determine the diagnostic accuracy for UTI and to derive pyuria thresholds for UTI in older women. METHODS: Women ≥65 years with ≥2 new-onset LUTS and 1 uropathogen ≥104 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL were included in the UTI group. Controls were asymptomatic and classified as ASB (1 uropathogen ≥105 CFU/mL), negative culture, or mixed flora. Patients with an indwelling catheter or antimicrobial pretreatment were excluded. Leukocyte medians were compared and sensitivity-specificity pairs were derived from a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: We included 164 participants. UTI patients had higher median urinary leukocytes compared with control patients (microscopy: 900 vs 26 leukocytes/µL; flowcytometry: 1575 vs 23 leukocytes/µL; P < .001). Area under the curve was 0.93 for both methods. At a cutoff of 264 leukocytes/µL, sensitivity and specificity of microscopy were 88% (positive and negative likelihood ratio: 7.2 and 0.1, respectively). The commonly used cutoff of 10 leukocytes/µL had a poor specificity (36%) and a sensitivity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of pyuria can help to distinguish UTI in older women from ASB and asymptomatic controls with pyuria. Current pyuria cutoffs are too low and promote inappropriate UTI diagnosis in older women. Clinical Trials Registration. International Clinical Trials Registry Platform: NL9477 (https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NL9477).

Prevalence of signs of lower urinary tract disease and positive urine culture in dogs with diabetes mellitus: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: No recent studies have evaluated the association between clinical signs of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) and positive urine culture in dogs with diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: Determine the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria (ie, positive urine culture without signs of LUTD) in dogs with diabetes mellitus. ANIMALS: One hundred seven dogs with diabetes mellitus were evaluated at a university veterinary hospital. METHODS: Retrospective study evaluating diabetic dogs with a single sample paired urinalysis and urine culture. Relationship between the presence of signs of LUTD, pyuria, and bacteriuria and urine culture results were compared using Fisher exact testing. RESULTS: Fifteen dogs (14%) had a positive urine culture via cystocentesis or free catch, of which 8 (53%) had pyuria, and 4 (27%) had signs of LUTD. Of the 88 dogs (82%) without signs of LUTD, 11 (13%) had a positive culture. A significant association was found between a positive urine culture and pyuria (OR infinity; 95% CI 20.34-infinity, P < .00001) and bacteriuria (OR infinity; 95% CI 164.4-infinity, P < .00001). No association was found between urine culture results and signs of LUTD (OR 1.87; 95% CI 0.59-6.85, P = .46). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Subclinical bacteriuria occurred in this cohort of dogs, and our findings reinforce the recommendation that urine cultures should not be routinely performed in diabetic dogs particularly if pyuria and bacteriuria are absent.

A new model to assist decision-making of optimal antibiotics duration for treating asymptomatic bacteriuria or pyuria prior to retrograde intrarenal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to establish a model that predicts postoperative fever and enables decision-making regarding optimal antibiotic therapy duration for asymptomatic bacteriuria or pyuria prior to retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 667 consecutive patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria or pyuria who underwent RIRS between September 2016 and December 2019. We constructed a predictive nomogram for risk quantification of postoperative infection. A preoperative score model was used for risk stratification. The effect of antibiotic therapy duration (short-course [2-3 days] vs. long-course [≥4 days]) was evaluated. RESULTS: Infections occurred in 113 (16.9%) patients. The incidence of fever was marginally lower in long-course group than in short-course group (15% vs. 19%, P=0.173). Hydronephrosis, stone size, multi-drug resistant bacteriuria, and degree of pyuria were used to construct a preoperative score model (the H-SMP score). Using the H-SMP score, the patients were stratified into low- and high-risk groups based on varying incidence rates of postoperative fever (11.0% vs. 29.9%, P<0.001). Significant reduction in fever occurred only among high-risk patients in the long-course group (23.5% vs. 38.0%, P=0.022), and no such reduction in postoperative fever rates occurred in low-risk patients (10.4% vs. 11.5%, P=0.712). Even after propensity score matching, the low-risk group showed no improvement in postoperative fever incidence with long-course antibiotic therapy (7.5% vs. 10.0%, P=0.419). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the newly developed H-SMP score, we concluded that long-course antibiotics (≥4 days) recommended in high-risk patients may not bring in more benefit in low-risk patients for treating asymptomatic bacteriuria or pyuria prior to RIRS.

Assessment of Significant Bacteriuria, Bacterial Profile and Pyuria among Pregnant Women with Urinary Tract Symptoms in Enugu, South-Eastern Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract symptoms are common in pregnancy; thus, symptom-based diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) might not be accurate. Such women are often exposed to antibiotics without urine culture and antibiotics sensitivity. Identification of pyuria on urine microscopy of pregnant women with urinary tract symptoms may predict significant bacteriuria and guide such women's treatment in under-resourced settings. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 233 consecutive consenting pregnant women with UTI symptoms at theantenatal clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital ItukuOzalla, Nigeria. Participants' mid-stream urine specimens were sent for microscopy, culture, and antibiotics sensitivity. Data analysis was descriptive and inferential at 95% confidence level. RESULTS: The prevalence of symptomatic UTI among pregnant women with urinary tract symptoms was 33.5% (78/233). Coliform bacilli were the most common isolates (82.0%) from participants' urine. Ceftriaxone and ampicillin-cloxacillin had the highest (76.9%) and least (12.8%) sensitivity, respectively. Using urine culture as the standard, pyuria on microscopy showed a sensitivity of 43.6% and a specificity of 93.5% for predicting symptomatic UTI. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of UTI among pregnant women with urinary tract symptoms was low, and the most common isolate was coliform bacilli. Though pyuria had reasonably good accuracy for diagnosing symptomatic UTI, it should not be used for this purpose because of the risks associated with misdiagnosis.

CONTEXTE: Les symptômes des voies urinaires sont fréquents pendant la grossesse; ainsi, le diagnostic basé sur les symptômes de l'infection des voies urinaires (IVU) pourrait ne pas être exact. Ces femmes sont souvent exposées à des antibiotiques sans culture d'urine ni sensibilité aux antibiotiques. L'identification de la pyurie par microscopie urinaire chez les femmes enceintes présentant des symptômes des voies urinaires peut prédire une bactériurie importante et orienter le traitement de ces femmes dans les milieux défavorisés. BUT: Déterminer la prévalence des infections urinaires chez les femmes enceintes présentant des symptômes des voies urinaires et évaluer l'exactitude de la pyurie pour prédire les infections urinaires symptomatiques pendant la grossesse à Enugu, au Nigéria. MÉTHODES: Une étude transversale de 233 femmes enceintes consentantes consécutives présentant des symptômes d'infection urinaire à la clinique prénatale de l'hôpital universitaire d'Ituku, à Ozalla, au Nigéria. Les échantillons d'urine à mi-parcours des participants ont été envoyés pour microscopie, culture et sensibilité aux antibiotiques. L'analyse des données était descriptive et inférentielle à un niveau de confiance de 95. RÉSULTATS: La prévalence des infections urinaires symptomatiques chez les femmes enceintes présentant des symptômes des voies urinaires était de 33,5% (78/233). Les bacilles coliformes étaient les isolats les plus courants (82,0%) des urines des participants. La ceftriaxone et l'ampicilline-cloxacilline avaient respectivement la sensibilité la plus élevée (76,9%) et la moins élevée (12,8%). En utilisant la culture d'urine comme norme, la pyurie à la microscopie a montré une sensibilité de 43,6% et une spécificité de 93,5% pour prédire les infections urinaires symptomatiques. CONCLUSION: La prévalence des infections urinaires chez les femmes enceintes présentant des symptômes des voies urinaires était faible et l'isolat le plus courant était les bacilles coliformes. Bien que la pyurie ait une précision raisonnablement bonne pour diagnostiquer une infection urinaire symptomatique, elle ne doit pas être utilisée à cette fin en raison des risques associés à un diagnostic erroné. MOTS CLÉS: Grossesse, infection symptomatique des voies urinaires, culture d'urine, microscopie d'urine.

Asymptomatic Bacteriuria and Pyuria in Premenopausal Women.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria in healthy women often trigger inappropriate antimicrobial treatment, but there is a paucity of data on their prevalence and persistence. METHODS: To evaluate the prevalence and persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria in women at high risk of recurrent urinary tract infection, we conducted an observational cohort study in 104 healthy premenopausal women with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection with daily assessments of bacteriuria, pyuria, and urinary symptoms over a 3-month period. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 22 years, and 74% were white. Asymptomatic bacteriuria events (urine cultures with colony count ≥105 CFU/mL of a uropathogen on days with no symptomatic urinary tract infection diagnosed) occurred in 45 (45%) women on 159 (2.5%) of 6283 days. Asymptomatic bacteriuria events were most commonly caused by Escherichia coli, which was present on 1.4% of days, with a median duration of 1 day (range, 1-10). Pyuria occurred in 70 (78%) of 90 evaluable participants on at least 1 day and 25% of all days on which no symptomatic urinary tract infection was diagnosed. The positive predictive value of pyuria for E. coli asymptomatic bacteriuria was 4%. CONCLUSIONS: In this population of healthy women at high risk of recurrent urinary tract infection, asymptomatic bacteriuria is uncommon and, when present, rarely lasts more than 2 days. Pyuria, on the other hand, is common but infrequently associated with bacteriuria or symptoms. These data strongly support recommendations not to screen for or treat asymptomatic bacteriuria or pyuria in healthy, nonpregnant women.

Relationship between post-void residual urine volume, preoperative pyuria and intravesical recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between residual urine volume, pyuria and bladder carcinoma recurrence. METHODS: The clinical data of 305 patients who had post-void residual urine volume measured and preoperative pyuria were retrospectively collected. The patients were classified into three risk groups based on the presence of residual urine and pyuria: good (negative residual urine and pyuria), intermediate (positive residual urine or pyuria) and poor (positive residual urine and pyuria). Predictive factors for intravesical recurrence-free survival were statistically analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier methods. The propensity score matching method was used to adjust the patients' backgrounds. RESULTS: The median follow-up period for all patients was 44 months. The presence of residual urine (P = 0.0164) and pyuria (P = 0.0233) were two independent prognostic factors for recurrence. After patients were classified into risk groups, the poor-risk group showed significantly shorter recurrence-free survival compared with that of the good- (P = 0.0002) and intermediate-risk groups (P = 0.0090). Even after matching, the presence of residual urine was related to short recurrence-free survival in male patients (P = 0.0012). When stratified by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer risk groups, the presence of pyuria was related to short recurrence-free survival, especially for intermediate-risk patients without bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Post-void residual urine and preoperative pyuria are two risks for recurrence-free survival in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Assessment of asymptomatic bacteriuria and sterile pyuria among antenatal attendants in hospitals in northern Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and sterile pyuria (SP) are complexities of UTI whose prevalence are not known in the northern sector of Ghana. Our aim was to determine the occurrence of sterile pyuria and asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women accessing antenatal care at a secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Tamale, northern Ghana. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted by screening 530 pregnant women with no signs of acute urinary tract infection attending antenatal clinic for a period of 6 months. Midstream urine was collected for microscopy, quantitative urine culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. RESULTS: Asymptomatic bacteriuria was respectively 20 and 35.5% at Tamale Central and Tamale Teaching Hospital out of the 390 and 90 women screened. Sterile pyuria was found among 66% of the 50 women presenting at Tamale Central Hospital. More than 64% of isolates recovered from ASB patients were S. aureus and coagulase negative Staph. (CoNS). Escherichia coli was the dominant species among members of the enterobacteriaceae isolated. Highest susceptibility was recorded against gentamicin and amikacin while most resistance was to Ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin. Resistance to imipenem and vancomycin were 28.8 and 52%, with strains showing multiple drug resistance of between 81 and 92%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria is appreciably higher (20-35.5%) than documented rates in the southern sector of the country. The presence of sterile pyuria which may be an indication of asymptomatic renal impairment and most often overlooked in antenatal management is 66%. Empirical treatment of UTIs at the Tamale Central and Teaching Hospital without confirmation of susceptibility may result in treatment failure. It is necessary to screen and treat pregnant women for ASB and SP due to the complications associated with these conditions.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Asymptomatic Pyuria in Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Pyuria seems to be common in chronic kidney disease (CKD), irrespective of urinary tract infection (UTI). It has been hypothesized that sterile pyuria occurs in CKD because of chronic renal parenchymal inflammation. However, there are limited data on whether CKD increases the rate of pyuria or how pyuria in CKD should be interpreted. We investigated the prevalence and characteristics of asymptomatic pyuria (ASP) in CKD via urinary white blood cell (WBC) analysis. METHODS: Urine examination was performed for all stable hemodialysis (HD) and non-dialysis CKD patients of the outpatient clinic (total N=298). Patients with infection symptoms or recent history of antibiotic use were excluded. Urine culture and WBC analysis were performed when urinalysis revealed pyuria. RESULTS: The prevalence of ASP was 30.5% (24.1% in non-dialysis CKD and 51.4% in HD patients). Over 70% of the pyuria cases were sterile. The majority of urinary WBCs were neutrophils, even in sterile pyuria. However, the percentage of neutrophils was significantly lower in sterile pyuria. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the degree of pyuria, percentage of neutrophils, and presence of urinary nitrites remained independently associated with sterile pyuria. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ASP was higher in CKD patients and increased according to CKD stage. Most ASP in CKD was sterile. Ascertaining the number and distribution of urinary WBCs may be helpful for interpreting ASP in CKD.

How Testing Drives Treatment in Asymptomatic Patients: Level of Pyuria Directly Predicts Probability of Antimicrobial Prescribing.

BACKGROUND: Urinalysis is a readily available test often used for screening. Pyuria is a common finding in asymptomatic patients; however, it is unknown how often identification of pyuria in the absence of confirmatory cultures leads to antimicrobial prescribing. The objective of this study was to measure the association between pyuria and antimicrobial initiation during the perioperative period and assess harms versus benefits of treatment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of preoperative patients within the national healthcare system during the period 1 October 2008-30 September 2013 who had a urinalysis performed during the 30-day preoperative period was created; patients with positive urine cultures were excluded. The primary exposure was pyuria on preoperative urinalysis. The primary outcome was antimicrobial initiation. Secondary outcomes included postoperative surgical site (SSI), urinary tract (UTI), and Clostridioides difficile infections. Trend and logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among 41 373 patients, 3617 had pyuria. 887 (24.5%) patients with pyuria received antimicrobials versus 1918 (5.1%) patients without pyuria. As the degree of pyuria increased, the odds of receiving antimicrobials also increased linearly (low, 14.7%; moderate, 24.0%; high pyuria, 37.4%). Preoperative pyuria was associated with postoperative C. difficile infections (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4); risk was higher in patients who received antimicrobials (aOR, 2.4; 1.7-3.4). Pyuria was not associated with SSI but was associated with increases in UTI after orthopedic and vascular procedures; this risk was not mitigated by antimicrobial therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Urine screening during the preoperative period is a low-value intervention that increases antimicrobial exposure but does not improve postoperative outcomes.

Preoperative Pyuria Predicts for Intravesical Recurrence in Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma of the Upper Urinary Tract After Radical Nephroureterectomy Without a History of Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND: We assessed preoperative pyuria as a significant predictor of intravesical recurrence (IVR) in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the data from 268 patients with UTUC without a history of bladder cancer who had undergone RNU from 2006 to 2016 at 4 academic institutions. The associations between the clinical variables and the presence of pyuria were evaluated by univariate analysis. IVR was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The median postoperative follow-up of patients with IVR-free survival was 29.1 months (interquartile range, 15.4-55.3 months). The rate of IVR was significantly greater in the patients with than in those without pyuria (P = .025). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative pyuria (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; P = .007), a ureteral tumor site (HR, 1.64; P = .012), and positive surgical margins (HR, 2.70; P = .013) were associated with a significantly increased risk of IVR. A postoperative risk stratification model using these factors showed significant differences among the 3 subgroups of patients with low, intermediate, and high risk. The 5-year IVR-free survival rates for the patients with low, intermediate, and high risk were 69.1%, 51.8%, and 18.8%, respectively (P = .004). CONCLUSION: Preoperative pyuria, a ureteral tumor site, and positive surgical margins were associated with a significantly increased risk of IVR. Although external validation is required, the presence of preoperative pyuria could be a significant predictor of IVR in patients with UTUC after RNU.

Pyuria and Post-Operation Urinary Tract Infection after Diode Laser Vaporesection of the Prostate.

Background: Monopolar transurethral resection of prostate (m-TURP) remains the gold standard for benign prostate obstruction (BPO). Recently developed laser surgical technique provides fewer peri-operative complications with equivalent outcomes. Diode laser vaporesection (DiLRP) offers better hemostasis, shorter catheterization duration, and shorter hospital stay, however, deep thermal penetration might cause prolonged prostatic urethra inflammation and subsequent complications. We conducted a retrospective study to compare the pyuria duration and post-operative urinary tract infection sequelae (POUTIs) between DiLRP and m-TURP. Methods: From July 2011 to September 2015, we retrieved medical records for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms resulting from prostate obstruction who underwent m-TURP and DiLRP. Demographic characteristics were recorded from a computerized database. The duration of pyuria after operation was compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis and risk factors were evaluated by Cox regression analysis. Results: One hundred twelve patients underwent DiLRP and 81 underwent m-TURP performed by the same surgeon during the same period. The mean age of the patients was 72 ± 7.3 years in the DiLRP group and 70 ± 7.6 years in the m-TURP group (p = 0.069). There was a higher percentage of anticoagulant used in the DiLRP group than in the m-TURP group (18.5% vs. 7.4%, p = 0.028). Operation time was longer but post-operative normal saline irrigation interval was shorter in DiLRP compared with m-TURP, respectively (62.8 ± 20.6 vs. 47.4 ± 22.1 minutes, p < 0.001; 2.1 ± 0.3 vs. 2.5 ± 0.9 days, p < 0.001). The post-operative infections were statistically significantly higher in the DiLRP group, including epididymitis (10.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.013) and POUTIs-related hospitalization (8.3% vs. 1.2%, p=0.031).The DiLRP resulted in longer pyuria period (16 vs. 12 weeks, p = 0.0014), with factors including operative method by DiLRP (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.828, p = 0.003) and age (HR: 0.665, p = 0.040). Conclusions: According to our study, DiLRP associated with more POUTIs is possibly caused by a longer pyuria period. Further larger prospective studies are necessary for the evaluation of the association between post-operative pyuria and POUTIs.

Prevalence of plasmid-mediated resistance genes among multidrug-resistant uropathogens in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) uropathogens has become a public health threat and current knowledge of the genotypic basis of bacterial resistance is essential for selecting appropriate treatment options. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among MDR uropathogens and to elucidate the molecular bases of plasmid-mediated resistance. METHODS: Bacterial isolates were recovered from urine specimens of 150 out-patients with signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) at El-Demerdash Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. Standard methods were used for identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed according to CLSI guidelines. RESULTS: Among the recovered isolates, 22.7% and 77.3% were Gram-positive, and negative, respectively. Of which; 43.3% were MDR with 60% harboring plasmids. Extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) genes bla CTX-M, bla SHV, and bla TEM were detected on plasmids of 89.7%, 41%, and 84.6% of the tested isolates, respectively. The aminoglycoside resistance gene aac6'-Ib/aac-6'-Ib-cr was found on plasmids of 92.3% of the tested isolates followed by qnrS (92.3%), qnrB (46.2%), and qnrA (7.7%). The most prevalent quinolone efflux pump gene was oqxB (38.5%), followed by oqxA (20.5%), then qepA (10.3%). CONCLUSION: High levels of resistance to nitrofurans, ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones were detected, and their use as empirical treatment for UTIs has become questionable.

Microscopic Bacteriuria Detected by Automated Urinalysis for the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the test performance of microscopic bacteriuria by automated urinalysis for presumptive urinary tract infection (UTI) in young children. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of children aged <2 years evaluated for UTI in a single large emergency department with paired automated microscopic urinalysis and culture. Test characteristics were calculated for automated microscopic bacteriuria and pyuria, and a practical diagnostic threshold of bacteriuria was determined. Standard test performance measures and receiver operator characteristic curves were generated. The diagnostic performance of bacteriuria was compared with microscopic pyuria. RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred fifty-four children with a median age of 6.1 months were studied, 19% of whom had a positive urine culture. Automated microscopic bacteriuria ≥1+ resulted in a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 4.5 (95% CI, 3.9-5.2) and negative LR (LR-) of 0.52 (95% CI, 0.47-0.57). Pyuria alone (≥5 WBC/high-power field) had a LR+ of 4.5 (95% CI, 4.1-5.0) and a LR- of 0.14 (95% CI, 0.11-0.18), whereas the addition of automated microscopic bacteriuria ≥1+ improved the LR+ to 16.3 (95% CI, 12.6-21.1) but raised the LR- to 0.51 (95% CI, 0.47-0.56). Test performance of automated microscopic bacteriuria measured by area under the curve analysis was lower (0.73; 95% CI, 0.70-0.76) than for pyuria (0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.93). Isolated automated microscopic bacteriuria without pyuria occurred in only 204 patients (8.0%), among whom only 20 (9.8%) had a positive urine culture. CONCLUSIONS: Microscopic bacteriuria measured by automated urinalysis augments the diagnostic value of pyuria for identifying presumptive UTI in young children aged <2 years. Bacteriuria is diagnostically inferior to microscopic pyuria, and in children with bacteriuria without pyuria, presumptive UTI is unlikely.

High Prevalence of Sterile Pyuria in the Setting of Sexually Transmitted Infection in Women Presenting to an Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical presentations for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and urinary tract infections (UTI) often overlap, and symptoms of dysuria and urinary frequency/urgency occur with both STIs and UTIs. Abnormal urinalysis (UA) findings and pyuria are common in both UTIs and STIs, and confirmatory urine cultures are not available to emergency clinicians to aid in decision-making regarding prescribing antibiotics for UTIs. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of sterile pyuria in women with confirmed STIs, as well as whether the absolute number of leukocytes on microscopy or nitrite on urine dipstick correlated with positive urine cultures in patients with confirmed STIs. We also sought to determine how many patients with STIs were inappropriately prescribed a UTI antibiotic. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients aged 18-50 who had a urinalysis and pelvic examination in the emergency department (including cervical cultures), and tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and/or Trichomonas vaginalis. Descriptive statistics were obtained for all variables, and associations between various findings were sought using the Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. We calculated comparison of proportions using the N-1 chi-squared analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,052 female patients tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and/or Trichomonas vaginalis and were entered into the database. The prevalence of pyuria in all cases was 394/1,052, 37% (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.34-0.40]). Of the cases with pyuria, 293/394, 74% (95% CI [0.70-0.78]) had sterile pyuria with negative urine cultures. The prevalence of positive urine cultures in our study population was 101/1,052, 9.6% (95% CI [0.08-0.11]). Culture positive urines had a mean of 34 leukocytes per high-power field, and culture negative urines had a mean of 24 leukocytes per high-power field, with a difference of 10, (95% CI [3.46-16.15]), which was statistically significant (p=0.003). Only 123 cases tested positive for nitrite on the urinalysis dipstick; 50/123, 41% (95% CI [0.32-0.49]) had positive urine cultures, and 73/123, 59% (95% CI [0.51-0.68]) had negative urine cultures. Nitrite-positive urines were actually 18% more likely to be associated with negative urine cultures in the setting of positive STI cases, (95% CI [4.95-30.42], p=0.0048). Antibiotics were prescribed for 295 patients with suspected UTI. Of these, 195/295, 66% (95% CI [0.61-0.71]) had negative urine cultures, and 100/295, 34% (0.33, 95% CI [0.28-0.39]) had positive urine cultures. Chi-square analysis yielded a difference of these proportions of 32% (95% CI [23.92-39.62], p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that in female patients with STIs who have pyuria, there is a high prevalence of sterile pyuria. Our results suggest that reliance on pyuria or positive nitrite for the decision to add antimicrobial therapy empirically for a presumed urinary tract infection in cases in which an STI is confirmed or highly suspected is likely to result in substantial over-treatment.

Sensitivity and specificity of urinalysis samples in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Pre-emptive screening of urine for patients admitted to an intensive care unit can result in the misinterpretation of data and over- or under-treatment of urinary tract infection. METHODS: Data were studied from 169 consecutive patients admitted to the neurologic or burn intensive care unit at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. All patients had a urinary catheter in place at the time of admission. Urinalysis and urine culture were sent for analysis. Data included leukocyte esterase, urine nitrate, urine protein, pyuria or urine white blood cell count, and culture. RESULTS: Leukocyte esterase and pyuria were the most sensitive indicators of a positive urine culture at 87.5% (95% CI: 71.3-100%) and 73.3% (95% CI: 51.0-95.7%), respectively; urine nitrate was specific at 100%. More than half of the patients (56.3%) with positive cultures did not initially receive antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The combination of leukocyte esterase and urine nitrate provides the best indicator for the initiation of antibiotic coverage for urinary tract infection prior to culture availability.

Current Diagnostic Approach and Initial Treatment Patterns for Renal Colic in Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Renal colic is a common clinical presentation in emergency. The goal of this study was to describe the epidemiology, current diagnostic and treatment strategies of ureteric colic in our emergency department. METHODS: This is a retrospective study performed over a six months period of patients with clinically suspected renal colic. Data collected included age, sex, urine analysis, ultrasound studies regarding size, site of the stone and presence of hydronephrosis. Comparative statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 12.2 software. RESULTS: Among the total 201 cases, 134(67%) had ultrasound performed which yielded ureteric stone in 61/134 (45.5%) cases, out of which 52.5% (32/61), 32.8% (20/61) and 14.8% (9/61) had stones measuring 5-9.9mm, ≤ 4.9mm and ≥ 10mm respectively. The mean age was 31.6±11 with male: female of 3:1. Hydronephrosis was strongly correlated with the presence of ureteric stone (sensitivity -85.2%, specificity-94.5%, positive predictive value-92.9% and negative predictive value of 88.5%) and was significantly more common with larger stones (p=0.05). Hematuria and pyuria was present among 44.3% (27/61) and 31.1% (19/61) of the ultrasound confirmed ureteric stones respectively. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and smooth muscle relaxants were the most common drug offered. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound to detect hydronephrosis, which is the most significant finding, may help to establish the probability of obstruction due to clinically important stone. Absence of hydronephrosis probably suggests small or passed out calculus requiring no immediate urological intervention or may indicate alternate diagnosis. Presence or absence of hematuria cannot be reliable diagnosing and excluding ureteral stones.

Bacteria on Urine Microscopy Is Not Associated with Systemic Infection in Patients with Obstructing Urolithiasis.

INTRODUCTION: Determining whether bacterial presence in urine microscopy represents infection is important as ureteral stent placement is indicated in patients with obstructing urolithiasis and infection. We aim to investigate whether the presence of bacteria on urine microscopy is associated with other markers of infection in patients with obstructing urolithiasis presenting to the emergency room. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 199 patients with obstructing urolithiasis and divided patients into two groups according to the presence of bacteria on urine microscopy. The primary outcome was serum white blood cell count and secondary outcomes were objective fever, subjective fever, tachycardia, pyuria, and final urine culture. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to assess whether the presence of bacteria on microscopy was associated with other markers of infection. RESULTS: The study included 72 patients in the bacteriuria group and 127 without bacteriuria. On univariate analysis, the presence of bacteria was not associated with leukocytosis, objective fever, or subjective fever, but it was associated with gender (p < 0.001), pyuria (p < 0.001), positive nitrites (p = 0.001), positive leukocyte esterase (p < 0.001), and squamous epithelial cells (p = 0.002). In a multilinear regression model including the presence of squamous cells, age, and sex, the presence of bacteriuria was not related to serum white blood cell count (coefficient -0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.1, 0.2; p = 0.17), heart rate (coefficient 0.85; 95% CI -2.5, 4.2; p = 0.62), presence of subjective or objective fever (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 0.8, 3.1; p = 0.18), or the presence of squamous epithelial cells (coefficient -4.4; 95% CI -10, 1.2; p = 0.12). However, the presence of bacteriuria was related to only the degree of pyuria (coefficient 16.4; 95% CI 9.6, 23.3; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bacteria on urine microscopy is not associated with other markers of systemic infection and may largely represent a contaminant. Renal colic may be a risk factor for providing a contaminated urine specimen.

Asymptomatic pyuria in pregnant women during the first trimester is associated with an increased risk of adverse obstetrical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Urinalysis is included in the prenatal examination in the first trimester in Taiwan, in contrast to Western countries. We aimed to investigate whether asymptomatic pyuria as detected by urinalysis was associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1187 singleton pregnant women who received prenatal care at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 2012 and December 2013 were included for retrospective analysis. We defined asymptomatic pyuria as the presence of 15 or more white blood cells/µL in midstream urine without symptoms. Adverse perinatal outcomes including preterm delivery, preterm premature rupture of membrane, low birth weight, and Apgar scores were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors. RESULTS: The prevalence of asymptomatic pyuria was 21.3% in our cohort. Univariate analysis showed that pyuria was the only factor associated with preterm delivery before 36 weeks of pregnancy, preterm premature rupture of membrane, and low birth weight. In multivariate analysis, both pyuria (odds ratio: 4.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.80-13.25, p=0.002) and a maternal age of 35 years or older (odds ratio: 3.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.11-10.78, p=0.033) were significant independent predictors for a low 5 minute Apgar score (<7). CONCLUSION: The identification of asymptomatic pyuria via urinalysis in the first trimester may be a predictor for adverse perinatal outcomes.