Abstract
The difference in the results of urine microscopic analysis and urine cultures using the first voided, second voided, and catheterized urine specimens in the female patients was studied. We compared the urinalysis results of the first and second voided urine specimens in 80 female patients, who visited our clinic with or without urinary tract infections. Twenty eight of 80 patients showed normal levels of leukocytes in both the first and second voided urine specimens. On the other hand, 50 patients revealed an abnormal increase in levels of leukocytes in the first voided urine specimen, and 14 showed normal levels of leukocytes in the second voided urine specimen. The observation of urinary bacteriae in the first and second voided urine specimens was similar to that of urinary leukocytes. We compared the results of urine microscopic analysis and urine cultures using the second voided and the catheterized urine specimens in 35 female patients. Twenty six patients revealed abnormal levels of leukocytes in the second urine specimen, but 7 of them showed normal counts of leukocytes in the catheterized urine specimen. In the patients with acute urinary tract infections, no difference was found in the results of urine cultures using the second voided and the catheterized urine specimens. On the other hand, a majority of the patients, without obvious clinical signs of urinary tract infections, who revealed abnormal colony counts on urine cultures using the second voided urine specimen, presented negative results or colony counts of less than 103CFU/ml by urine cultures using the catheterized urine specimens. In conclusion, the urinary examination for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in female patients should be performed using catheterized urine specimens.
