Urine Dipstick for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

The sensitivity and specificity of the urine dipstick varies somewhat with the setting and population, as does its recommended interpretation. In low-risk patients with a low pretest probability of UTI, the urine dipstick alone is useful to exclude infection if both nitrites and leukocyte esterase are negative. [Strength of recommendations: C, all recommendations based on meta-analyses of cohort studies not addressing patient-oriented outcomes]