EVALUATION OF 2 RAPID URINE SCREENING-TESTS

Three hundred and five urine specimens were evaluated for evidence of urinary tract infection. Standard culture techniques and urinalysis were used to compare two rapid urine screening tests: Bac-T-Screen (BTS) from Vitek and Uriscreen from Analytab Products. At the level of >10(4) CFU/mL, BTS and Uriscreen bad sensitivities of 81.7% and 91.S%, specificities of 70.1 % and 43.2%, positive predictive values of 45.3 % and 32.8 %, and negative predictive values of 92.7% and 94.4%, respectively. Leukocytes and bacteria should be present in the urine samples of immunocompetent patients who have urinary tract infections. When positive specimens contained both leukocytes (determined in the urinalysis section of the laboratory) and significant numbers of microorganisms, the sensitivities (BTS 96%, Uriscreen 100%) and negative predictive values (BTS 99.2%, Uriscreen 100%) of both urine screening tests became almost identical. Both screening tests are inexpensive, easy to use, and acceptable for the clinical microbiology laboratory.