How Reliable is the Diagnosis Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Using Common Urinary Symptoms Alone? – A Study of 300 Adult Females in a Primary Care Setting in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study on the reliability of clinical parameters in diagnosing urinary tract infection (UTI) among adult females in a primary care setting was done using 300 randomly selected women between the ages of 18 and 64 years attending the general practice clinic (GPC) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. The aim was to assess the usefulness of common symptoms in predicting UTI among those respondents. The study employed the use of a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire that obtained information on biodata, clinical presentation and physical examination. The diagnosis of UTI was confirmed with urine microscopy and culture. From the study, it was observed that none of the asymptomatic respondents were culture positive. The prevalence of UTI was approximately 14% with most of the respondents aged between 18 and 47 years, and married. Among symptomatic respondents, the prevalence was 26.2%. Urinary frequency, nocturia and urgency were the most predictive symptoms of UTI especially when considered in combination. Physicians should rely more on this parameters in the management of Urinary tract infection. Routinely ordering for a urinary dipstick and/or urine culture in resource deprived health facilities may be unnecessary.