Stix for screening for bacteriuria
Egebo, K.; Thomsen, H.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 149(14): 906-907
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 3576789 Document Number: 304826
A total of 257 samples of urine originating from patients with microscopic and/or clinical evidence of urinary infection were tested with two type of stix: N-labstix (nitrite field) and Nephur-stix (nitrite and leukocyte fields). Culture by the routine methods in the Regional Bacteriological Department in Arhus Municipal Hospital was employed as the method of reference. Seventy-five out of the 257 smaples (29.1%) showed significant bacteriuria on culture. Where the nitrite test alone was concerned, the diagnostic specificity was found to be 0.75 (0.64-0.87). The sensitivity was 0.87 (0.81-0.92). When the nitrite test and the leukocyte test were combined so that both of these were required to be negative before a negative result was recorded, the specificity was found to be 0.57 (0.47-0.66) while the sensitivity here was 0.94 (0.88-0.97). There still remained 12% (6-22) undiagnosed cases of infection. The method cannot be recommended for routine screening without reservations.