The Use of Strip Method as Early Diagnostic Test for Urinary Tract Infectionin Children Attending Kirkuk Pediatric Hospital

Abstract

Background : Urinary tract infection is a common infection causing illness in children. It is either presented with specific symptoms or may asymptomatic especially in younger infant. It is most common cause of febrile disease in children .Affecting about 2% of boys and 80% of girls by the age of 11 years. UTI is important infection usually occurs due to bacteria although viruses and fungi and parasites can also cause infection.  
Aim : The aim of this study early diagnosis of UTI by use strip method. 
 Patients and method: Across sectional hospital based study done on patients who attended the outpatient clinic of pediatric General  hospital in Kirkuk city selected randomly ,during  the period from 1 st of July to  30 th of August 2017 
.The population included in this study was children aged 2 month to 12 years old ,total number about 250 cases, only selected the patient with positive stripe test for pus ,which  represented about 170 patients ( 95 girls and 75 boys), were send t for urine culture .The patients included in this study ,were those patients who had signs and symptoms of UTI .Each patient included in the study were assessed by appropriate questionnaire which  include name ,age ,sex, ….etc 
.Each patient included in the study were assessed for presence of UTI using strip method .Urine sample taken from patients by clean catch and by urine collection bag in children younger than 2 years, after learning the mother to wash genital area with water and soap if available before applying the urine bag  .Patient  >  2year  ,urine  were  taken  by  midstream  urine  sample  after cleaning the area as above .Urine putted in tube and sent immediately to the lab fir culture after take the results of strip method . The strip screen for presence of 8 different items in addition to pus, cell, nitrate ,PH, protein ,glucose, ketone ,bilirubin  ,  erythrocyte,  and  Hb.  The  number  of  pus  cell  in  strip  were represented in different colors according to number of pus cell. The patient were diagnosed as UTI by strip method in the presence of 1+ or more pus by comparing the matching color . 
Results: The total number of cases included in the study were 250 cases , 170 (68%) of cases  were positive by strip for UTI , 52 (30%) of cases were positive by culture of urine. 155 (62%) of cases were female . 215 (86%) of cases live in urban area .135  (54%)of cases were poor .166 (66%) of patient have illiterate mother ,55 (22%) primary school,29 (11.6%) secondary school, (0%) collage . 
Conclusion :The study concluded that  The strip method is not specific to diagnosis UTI and still the culture method is the sole method to diagnosis  of UTI.