Microbiology
A 50 year-old woman went to their GP complaining of nausea, shaking chills, loin pain and a burning sensation on passing urine, which she was doing more frequently than normal.
On examination, her doctor observed that she was a bit pale with some suprapubic tenderness. A urine dipstick test was positive for nitrites, leukocytes and protein.
Discuss considerations around sample quality and transport and how it affects laboratory results. Discuss the tests performed by the laboratory on a urine sample, how test results confirm a diagnosis of urinary tract infection and provide an example of an automated technology currently in use in diagnostic laboratories.
