Screening for bacteriuria: Microstix and dipslides

Abstract
Summary: The Microstix system has been tested, in parallel with dipslides, for suitability as a screening technique for the detection of bacteriuria. Results obtained using each method on 228 urine specimens were assessed by comparison with the results of quantitative counts. Dipslides had a higher sensitivity (86-7%) than Microstix. The best specificity (100%) was obtained from those results (77-6%) where both components of the Microstix system were in agreement. Advantages of Microstix are its greater shelf-life and its compactness.