Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection in Childhood Based on Examination of Paired Non-catheter and Catheter Specimens of Urine

Abstract

Non-catheter (bag or midstream specimen) and catheter specimens of urine from 68 children suspected to be suffering from infection of the renal tract have been compared. Accepting the catheter specimen predominantly as the indicator of urinary tract infection, it was concluded that 32 children (47%) were suffering from pyelonephritis. With the use of certain specified diagnostic criteria on single non-catheter specimens of urine 25 (78%) of the infected cases were diagnosed positively. In the 68 cases there were only five (7%) false-positives among the non-catheter specimens, suggest- ing that the criteria used reduce significantly the high incidence of false-positive results which tends to occur with random non-catheter specimens. Means by which false-negative results can be avoided include a “ re-examination ” standard and consideration of urinary pH. A method of bladder catheterization in children with the use of a Polybactrin technique appears to be safe and can be used in cases where diagnoses cannot be readily established from non-catheter specimens. © 1967, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.