Evaluation of Complete Urinalysis and Infection Markers in the Prediction of Urine Culture Results in All Age Groups: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: While diagnosing a urinary system infection, infection indicators such as a complete urinalysis and white blood cell count (WBC), c-reactive protein (CRP), and sedimentation rate (ESR) can be used with the urinary culture which is the gold standard method. We aimed to compare these tests in patients with positive and negative urine culture results. Materials- methods: Data belonging to 604 patients with requested tests of complete urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC), CRP, ESR, and urine culture were retrospectively analyzed from the records of our hospital. The results of 222 children (<18 years) and 382 adults (≥18 years) achieved from the software system were evaluated. Patients with urine cultures resulting as contaminated were excluded from the study. All statistical tests were performed with a SPSS 17.0 and the significance level for all tests was accepted as p<0.05. Results: Growth occurred in the urine cultures of 103 (%17) patients. In children, while the presence of leukocyte esterase, nitrite positivity, and microscopic leukocyturia in the complete urinalysis was found to be statistically significant in those with growth in their urine cultures, no significant difference was detected in terms of leukocytosis, ESR, and CRP levels. In adult patients, all of the leukocyte esterase, nitrite, protein, and microscopic leukocyturia values from the complete urinalysis were statistically significant in the group with growth in the urine culture. Although there was no significant difference in terms of WBC elevation, CRP and ESR were found to be higher in the group with growth in the urine culture. Conclusion: Evaluation of a complete urinalysis, especially in children, compared to blood tests, may be useful in the early diagnosis of urinary tract infections. ESR and CRP levels in addition to full urinalysis in adults, may be useful in the early diagnosis of urinary tract infections. If one or more of these tests are positive together, urine culture should be requested immediately and appropriate antibiotic therapy should be started according to the antibiogram result.