Contribution of the Urine Dipstick to Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis among Children in Two Hospitals in Cotonou-Benin

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary tract infections are a daily concern in pediatric nephrology with long-term risks for high blood pressure and renal failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of a urine dipstick (UD) to the diagnosis of urinary infections among children at the CNHU-HKM and the Lagoon Mother and Child University Teaching Hospital (CHU-MEL) of Cotonou. Patients and Methods: This study is a cohort, descriptive and analytical study focused on children with suspected urinary infections in the pediatric units of the CNHU-HKM and CHU-MEL of Cotonou from March 25 to August 25, 2015. Results: Two hundred and four children out of a total of 5125 admitted children (4%) presented with at least one clinical sign of a urinary tract infection. Children under 36 months of age were predominant (41%). The main clinical signs of urinary infections were fever (60.8%) and urinary disorders (38.2%). The urinary dipstick test was positive in 145 children (71.2%). A urinary tract infection was confirmed by urine culture in 38 children (18.6%). In cases with leucocyturia- and nitrituria-positive urine dipstick tests, the sensitivity was estimated to be 13.2%, and the specificity was 95.2%, with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 82.8%. Only when the leucocyturia test was positive, the sensitivity was 76.3%, and the specificity was 31.9%. When the leucocyturia test was negative, the specificity was estimated to be 94%, and the sensitivity was 83% in the nitrituria-positive cases and 15.8% in the nitrituria-negative cases. The main isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (n = 21) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 14). Conclusion: In our environment, a negative leucocyturia test may help exclude urinary tract infections in most cases