Biomaterial Database

Clinical relevance of culture versus screens for the detection of microbial pathogens in urine specimens. 1987

J A Kellogg, and J P Manzella, and S N Shaffer, and B B Schwartz

Department of Internal Medicine, York Hospital, Pennsylvania 17405.

The use of screens to detect "significant levels" of pathogenic microorganisms in urine specimens offers the advantages of both rapidly reporting results and controlling costs. Many of these screens, however, are insensitive at microbial counts below 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU)/ml of urine. It is increasingly apparent that patients with almost any type of urinary tract infection (except for most patients who are asymptomatic or who have pyelonephritis) may have urine concentrations of pathogens as low as 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/ml. This review documents factors that can contribute to diminished concentrations of microorganisms in urine, lists patient populations in whose urine microorganisms in concentrations well below 10(5) CFU/ml have been associated with infection, and makes recommendations for selection of laboratory tests, including rapid screens, for the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008403	Mass Screening	Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease.	Screening,Mass Screenings,Screening, Mass,Screenings,Screenings, Mass
D011934	Reagent Strips	Narrow pieces of material impregnated or covered with a substance used to produce a chemical reaction. The strips are used in detecting, measuring, producing, etc., other substances. (From Dorland, 28th ed)	Reagent Strip,Strip, Reagent,Strips, Reagent
D003365	Costs and Cost Analysis	Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs.	Affordability,Analysis, Cost,Cost,Cost Analysis,Cost Comparison,Cost Measures,Cost-Minimization Analysis,Costs and Cost Analyses,Costs, Cost Analysis,Pricing,Affordabilities,Analyses, Cost,Analyses, Cost-Minimization,Analysis, Cost-Minimization,Comparison, Cost,Comparisons, Cost,Cost Analyses,Cost Comparisons,Cost Measure,Cost Minimization Analysis,Cost, Cost Analysis,Cost-Minimization Analyses,Costs,Measure, Cost,Measures, Cost
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367	Age Factors	Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.	Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D014552	Urinary Tract Infections	Inflammatory responses of the epithelium of the URINARY TRACT to microbial invasions. They are often bacterial infections with associated BACTERIURIA and PYURIA.	Infection, Urinary Tract,Infections, Urinary Tract,Tract Infection, Urinary,Tract Infections, Urinary,Urinary Tract Infection
D014556	Urine	Liquid by-product of excretion produced in the kidneys, temporarily stored in the bladder until discharge through the URETHRA.