Prediction of presence of fastidious bacteria by the Fully Automated Urine Particle Analyzer UF-1000i in the case of ineffective antimicrobial therapy for urinary tract infection.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have reported associations between fastidious bacteria that are difficult to grow and isolate in conventional urine culture conditions and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Because the Fully Automated Urine Particle Analyzer UF-1000i (hereinafter referred to as "UF-1000i") detects fastidious bacteria without being affected by culture conditions, owing to its flow cytometry-based principle, we evaluated the robustness of UF-1000i detection using clinical urine samples from patients with UTIs following ineffective antimicrobial therapy. METHODS: A total of 150 patients diagnosed with UTIs were enrolled, and their laboratory findings were analyzed, focusing on the discrepancy in bacterial numbers between UF-1000i and conventional culture at each antimicrobial therapy effectiveness classification. In addition, gene identification was conducted by molecular analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to elucidate the reason for the presence of fastidious bacteria in these samples. RESULTS: The ineffective therapy cases showed more than 100-fold discrepancy in bacterial counts, with a higher proportion (30.8%) than effective therapy cases without secondary administration (5.7%) between the bacterial counts in UF-1000i and conventional culture methods. The presence rates of fastidious bacteria were 100% and 66.7% in discrepant cases of ineffective and effective without secondary administrations, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that discrepancies in bacterial numbers between the conventional culture method and UF-1000i measurement at the primary visit can predict the presence of fastidious bacteria, especially in cases of ineffective antimicrobial therapy.

[Voiding function and sexual activity in patients following Hautmann neobladder construction].

PURPOSE: We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of Hautmann neobladder reconstruction in terms of complications, lower urinary tract symptoms, and sexual function in a large group of patients who underwent radical cystectomy. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 118 patients (105 men and 13 women) who underwent radical cystectomy and Hautmann neobladder construction at the Gifu University Hospital or one of its affiliate hospitals between Jan 1993 and Dec 1999. The 118 patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual activity, and the data was compiled. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 50.4 months (range, 6.8-88.2). Early complications comprised wound infection (in 17.8% of patients) and ileus (in 10.1% of patients). Late complications comprised ileus, pyelonephritis, stone, and stricture of the pouch-urethral anastomosis, each of which occurred in 3.4% of patients. Eighty-one (73 men and 8 women, 72.9%) of 90 surviving patients replied to the questionnaire. Seventy-seven (95.1%) of these patients reported spontaneous micturition, whereas 4 (4.9%) patients required intermittent self-catheterization. The mean total I-PSS was 11.6 points. Twenty-five percent of patients experienced interrupted voiding almost always; 38% of patients did not experience this at all. Approximately 26% of patients experienced weak urinary streams; 36% did not. Daytime continence was achieved in 97.3% of patients; nighttime incontinence was present in 61.3%. Preoperatively, 79.7% of the men were capable of sexual intercourse. Postoperatively, 63.6% of men who underwent radical cystectomy with the nerve-sparing procedure were capable of sexual intercourse, whereas only 14.8% of men who underwent radical cystectomy without the nerve-sparing procedure were. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity rates were acceptable and functional outcome was excellent in this rather large group of patients who underwent Hautmann neobladder construction. Some problems have not been fully overcome, however, i.e., nocturnal incontinence and sexual dysfunction.