EVALUATION OF MULTISTIX TEST AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR DETECTION OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT THE IRRUA SPECIALIST TEACHING HOSPITAL, IRRUA. EDO STATE

Abstract

Untreated urinary tract infection can have devastating maternal and neonatal effects. Thus routine screening for bacteriuria is advocated. This study was conducted to evaluate the value of dipstick test of asymptomatic bacteriuria with the gold standard of urine microscopy culture and sensitivity which acts as the control. The urine dipstick test uses the leucocyte esterase, nitrite, proteinuria singly or in combination. The measure of the test reliability and validity was with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false positive rate, false negative rate and accuracy.

Overall, the sensitivity was poor. Of all the urine dipstick parameter, leucocyte esterase appears to be the most accurate (90.25%), when compared to other parameters such as nitrite (80.5%) and proteinuria (83.3%). Combinations of the test do not appear to improve the sensitivity of the urine dipstick test.

The incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria reported in this study was 22%. The commonly isolated organisms were Escherichia coli (36.4%), Proteus species (23.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (18.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.6%),Klebsiella (7.9%). Nitrofurantoin was identified as having the highest and widest spectrum of activity (68.2%), followed by gentamycin (57.9%), and ofloxacin (55.7%).
Conclusion: Dipstick test has a limited use in screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria. The leucocyte esterase test appears to be most accurate and sensitive. Other parameters actually decrease the reliability and validity of the leucocyte esterase test. A positive test merits empirical antibiotics, while a negative test is an indication for urine culture.

EVALUATION OF MULTISTIX TEST AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR DETECTION OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT THE IRRUA SPECIALIST TEACHING HOSPITAL, IRRUA. EDO STATE