pem pearl: uti cutoffs
A study out of Pittsburgh aimed to determine the accuracy of conventional urine culture at different CFU-cutoffs to identify an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity. They used gene sequencing ("16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing") as their gold standard. They then compared the results of this sequencing to urine culture at different CFU cutoffs.
They enrolled 341 children aged 1month-3 years who presented to the ED with fever (reported or recorded in ED) and had a urine sample obtained via catheterization.
Bottom Line: Conventional culture remains an accurate method of diagnosing UTIs in young children; however, these data suggest that a cutoff of 10,000 CFU/mL provides the optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity for children undergoing bladder catheterization.
They enrolled 341 children aged 1month-3 years who presented to the ED with fever (reported or recorded in ED) and had a urine sample obtained via catheterization.
Bottom Line: Conventional culture remains an accurate method of diagnosing UTIs in young children; however, these data suggest that a cutoff of 10,000 CFU/mL provides the optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity for children undergoing bladder catheterization.
