Role of Dipstick Testing in the Evaluation of Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents

Abstract

Among 101 nursing home residents with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI), we determined the negative predictive value of dipstick testing for leukocyte esterase and nitrite to be 100% (95% confidence interval, 74%-100%), compared with laboratory evidence of UTI (greater than 10 white blood cells/mm 3 on urinalysis and greater than 100,000 colony forming units/mL on urine culture). Nursing home dipstick testing effectively excluded the possibility of UTI.